WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.438 >>GERRY: THE INDYCAR SERIES HAS A NEW TITLE SPONSOR, A NEW TV PARTNER AND HOPEFULLY, RENEWED MOMENTUM AS THE OPENING RACE IN 2 00:00:05.438 --> 00:00:10.377 MARCH APPROACHES. BILL BENNER HAS MORE IN THIS WEEK'S INSIDE INDIANA SPORTS. BILL ... 3 00:00:10.377 --> 00:00:15.782 >>BILL: GERRY, THANKS. THE SERIES CAPPED A BUSY AND PRODUCTIVE OFFSEASON EARLIER THIS MONTH WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED 4 00:00:15.782 --> 00:00:21.421 THAT GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY FIRM NTT WOULD BECOME THE NEW SPONSOR, REPLACING VERIZON. AND OF COURSE, ALREADY ON BOARD 5 00:00:21.421 --> 00:00:26.993 IS NBC SPORTS AS THE NEW TELEVISION SPONSOR. SO, WHAT DOES IT ALL PORTEND? HERE TO PROVIDE PERSPECTIVE IS 6 00:00:26.993 --> 00:00:36.436 CURT CAVIN, INDYCAR'S VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS. CURT, WELCOME. YEAH, THIS IS VERY BIG ON 7 00:00:36.436 --> 00:00:43.076 POSITIVE NEWS. THERE WAS THAT DOWN TIME EVERYONE WAS WONDERING WHO THE NEW SPONSOR OF THE SERIES WOULD 8 00:00:43.076 --> 00:00:48.615 BE. SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THESE GUYS. >>: THEY ARE ONE OF THE REAL 9 00:00:48.615 --> 00:00:57.056 GIANTS IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGICAL SERVICES AND IN TERMS OF FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES AND AT THE EDGE OF TOP 50 IN THE WORLD SO THEY 10 00:00:57.056 --> 00:01:04.764 BRING A REAL PRESENCE GLOBALLY AND THEY WANT TO REALLY IMPROVE THEIR STATURE IN NORTH AMERICA SO THAT'S THE IMPETUS OF THIS 11 00:01:04.764 --> 00:01:11.971 AWARD, BUT YOU USE THE WORD CAP THE OFF-SEASON AND WE HAVE MORE TO COME IN IN THE COMING WEEK YOU WILL HEAR MORE THAT HELPS 12 00:01:11.971 --> 00:01:17.210 THE 500 AS WELL. >>: WE WILL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND. A JAPANESE BASED COMPANY. 13 00:01:17.210 --> 00:01:24.083 150 YEARS IN EXISTENCE. STARTED OFF AS A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AND HERE THEY ARE WITH INDYCAR. 14 00:01:24.083 --> 00:01:30.190 >>: IT REALLY IS A GIANT IN THE INDUSTRY AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF WAYS THEY CAN HELP INDYCAR LARGELY IN TERMS OF BUSINESS TO 15 00:01:30.190 --> 00:01:36.396 BUSINESS AND BRINGING THEIR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS TO THE SPORT. YOU MAY NOT SEE A SUPER BOWL AD 16 00:01:36.396 --> 00:01:42.802 PER SE, BUT YOU WILL SEE CUSTOMERS COMING IN OF THEIRS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN HELPING THE ECOSYSTEM. 17 00:01:42.802 --> 00:01:49.609 ANYTHING THAT HELPS THE TEAM OR MANUFACTURERS OR THE DRIVERS MUCH LESS THE SERIES IS GOOD FOR ALL OF US. 18 00:01:49.609 --> 00:01:55.648 >>: THE NORTH AMERICAN UNIT HAD BEEN A BOARD WITH NASCAR RACING. >>: THAT CONTINUES FOR MULTIPLE YEARS. 19 00:01:55.648 --> 00:02:02.455 THAT WAS ONE OF OUR REQUIREMENT THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE WITH THE RACING. >>: YOU DID NOT ANNOUNCE TERMS 20 00:02:02.455 --> 00:02:07.994 BUT A MULTIYEAR AGREEMENT SO THEY ARE NOT JUST COMING IN AND TAKING OFF. >>: THIS IS KIND OF A REAL 21 00:02:07.994 --> 00:02:14.734 COMMITMENT FOR THEM AND AN IMPORTANT OUTREACH AND THIS IS REALLY THERE ONLY REAL NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS OUTREACH SO 22 00:02:14.734 --> 00:02:23.743 THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WELL. >>: AS A PRELUDE BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT NBC ANNOUNCED ITS TELEVISIONS AND SCHEDULE AND 23 00:02:23.743 --> 00:02:34.420 ANOTHER BIG JUMP FOR THE SERIES WITH EIGHT OF THE RACES CARRIED ON NBC AND NINE FROM THE 17 RACE SERIES GOING ON MS BN. 24 00:02:34.420 --> 00:02:40.960 BUT, THAT'S ANOTHER HUGE -- >> THAT'S A BIG INCREASE IN TERMS OF NETWORKED RACES FOR INDYCAR. 25 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:49.168 LAST YEAR THERE WERE FIVE NOW GOES TO EIGHT ON NBC AND THE NBC REACH WILL GO ON ALL PLATFORMS AND THEY WILL HAVE MORE OF A 26 00:02:49.168 --> 00:02:57.744 DRIVING FORCE TO ENCOURAGE THIS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OF THE BROADCAST. >>: MUCH TO MY DELIGHT AND 27 00:02:57.744 --> 00:03:04.350 SURPRISE I HAVE TO ADMIT I WAS WATCHING AN NFL PLAYOFF GAME AND THERE WAS A PROMO FOR THE 500. THAT'S TERRIFIC. 28 00:03:04.350 --> 00:03:11.791 >>: THE OTHER ONE I WOULD ADD HIS SPEEDWAY RECENTLY JOINED AS THE OFFICIAL CONVENIENCE STORE WHICH GIVES 4,000 PLATFORMS 29 00:03:11.791 --> 00:03:19.799 ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO SHOWCASE INDYCAR WHICH IS HUGE PLUS THE FUEL ALL THE TEAMS WILL USE. >>: YOU TEASED AN ANNOUNCEMENT 30 00:03:19.799 --> 00:03:27.607 COMING WE DO NOT YET HAVE A PRESENTING SPONSOR, BUT WE MAY HAVE ONE SHORTLY. YOU WILL TELL US RIGHT NOW WHO 31 00:03:27.607 --> 00:03:34.948 IT IS. >>: RIGHT NOW MARK MILES THE CEO OF HOMELAND AND COMPANY HAS SAID ON A COUPLE OF VOCATIONS 32 00:03:34.948 --> 00:03:40.920 THAT ONE IS COMING AND A PRESENTING SPONSOR'S COMING SO THAT ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE BEFORE WE GET ON TRACK. 33 00:03:40.920 --> 00:03:48.561 WE ARE ON TRACK EARLY NEXT MONTH AND YOU WILL SEE IT SOON. >>: AS WE WRAP UP THE SEASON STARTS MARCH 10. 34 00:03:48.561 --> 00:03:58.671 TWO NEW CIRCUITS ON THE SERIES. LAGUNA AND [INAUDIBLE] AND BOTH WILL ENTERTAIN INDYCAR TESTING SESSIONS COMING UP. 35 00:03:58.671 --> 00:04:06.446 >>: LAGUNA WHICH IS IN MONTEREY WHICH IS A GOOD PLACE TO GO AND ANY TIME OF THE YEAR IS COMING UP ON FEBRUARY 8 AND THEN WE GO 36 00:04:06.446 --> 00:04:14.454 TO CIRQUE AT THE AMERICAS IN AUSTIN A BEAUTIFUL MARKET FOR US TO BE IN A WORLD-CLASS RACETRACK AND WE WILL BE THERE 11TH OF 37 00:04:14.454 --> 00:04:21.794 FEBRUARY AND RACE IN MID MARCH. >>: IT ALL STARTS WITH THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES.