ROCHESTER, N.Y. and MOORESVILLE, N.C., Dec. 4 --
Eastman Kodak Company will compete for the checkered flag in the 2007 NASCAR
Nextel Cup Series as primary sponsor of the No. 12 Dodge Charger driven by Ryan
Newman at three major races. Kodak will also sponsor Newman’s car in seven
NASCAR Busch Series races next year, and will be an associate sponsor of Penske
Racing’s IndyCar Series entries driven by two-time Indy 500 champion Helio
Castroneves and 2006 Indy 500 winner and three-time IndyCar Series Champion Sam
Hornish, Jr.
“Our 2007 racing sponsorship program with Penske Racing will boost our brand
visibility with three key segments of motorsports fans,” said Kodak’s Gregory
T. Walker, director and vice president, Presence Marketing and Multicultural
Marketing, Corporate Marketing Office. “Ryan’s a proven winner in NASCAR
racing, and Helio and Sam are both Indy 500 champions with large, loyal
followings. We’re proud to support their 2007 campaigns.”
Plans call for Newman’s Dodge Charger to wear red-and-yellow Kodak colors at
Nextel Cup races in Talladega, Ala.; Fontana, Calif.; and Watkins Glen, N.Y.,
near Kodak’s headquarters in Rochester. At 33 other Cup events, Kodak will be
an associate sponsor of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge. The seven Busch Series races
where Newman will drive a Kodak EasyShare Gallery-sponsored car are Bristol,
Tenn., Fort Worth, Tex., Darlington, S.C., Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet,
Ill., Watkins Glen, Fontana, and Richmond, Va.
Kodak’s sponsorship on both of Penske’s entries competing in the 17-race
2007 IndyCar Series Championship will be its first in IndyCar racing. Newman,
Castroneves, and Hornish also will take part in promotional appearances on
behalf of Kodak. The agreements are in keeping with Kodak’s existing
contract with Penske Racing. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Kodak in 2007,” said Tim
Cindric, President of Penske Performance, Inc. “I am excited to see the
familiar Kodak yellow and red on the track at Talladega in April as they return
to Nextel Cup primary sponsorship. Adding Kodak to our list of marquee
brands supporting our IndyCar program further demonstrates the success of our
platform.”
Newman, who earned Rookie of the Year honors in NASCAR racing in 2002, has
12 career Nextel Cup wins. He has won seven races in the Busch Series since
2001 – the same year he graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. degree in
Vehicle Structure Engineering.
Hornish and Castroneves have three Indianapolis 500 victories between them.
Hornish, a three-time IndyCar series champion, is the winningest driver in
series history having won 18 events including the 2006 Indianapolis 500.
Castroneves, a native of Sao Paolo, Brazil, has won 17 open-wheel races,
including back-to-back victories at Indianapolis in 2001 and 2002. Both drivers
will also compete in the upcoming Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race on Jan.
27-28, 2007.
“Our motorsports relationships help us create business opportunities with
other sponsors and racing enthusiasts, whether they’re die-hard NASCAR fans or
business partners in the racing community,” said Jeffrey W. Hayzlett, Chief
Marketing Officer and Vice President, Graphic Communications Group. “Nextel
Cup, IndyCar Series, and Busch Series racing all have immensely loyal fans, and
we hope to capture their enthusiasm for Kodak products and services, both on
and off the tracks.”
For example, racing fans can join, upload photos to online albums, and
purchase images of their favorite NASCAR events at http://www.kodakgallery.com/racing.
Visitors can order prints, mugs, and other items featuring their favorite
NASCAR competitors from KodakGallery.com.
About Eastman Kodak Company
Kodak is the world’s foremost imaging innovator, providing leading products
and services to the photographic, graphic communications and healthcare
markets. With sales of $14.3 billion in 2005, the company is committed to a
digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use
meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak’s
system of digital and traditional image capture products and services to take,
print and share their pictures anytime, anywhere; Businesses effectively
communicate with customers worldwide using Kodak solutions for prepress,
conventional and digital printing and document imaging; Creative Professionals
rely on Kodak technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still
images; and leading Healthcare organizations rely on Kodak’s innovative
products, services and customized workflow solutions to help improve patient
care and maximize efficiency and information sharing within and across their
enterprise. More information about Kodak (NYSE: EK) is available at www.kodak.com.