CENTRIX Financial to Sponsor Team USA at 2003 Michelin ROC Nations Cup
- Company to Serve as First Team Title Sponsor in Race History
- Team USA Powered by CENTRIX Financial Looking to Repeat Nations Cup Victory
CENTENNIAL, Colo., Nov. 17 -- CENTRIX Financial, LLC, a financial management and services firm, announced today that it will serve as title sponsor for Team USA in this year's Michelin Race of Champions Nations Cup, on November 29th in the Canary Islands. The team will now officially be known as "Team USA Powered by CENTRIX Financial." This is the sixteenth running of the ROC Nations Cup, where top drivers from around the world compete to capture the title of "world's fastest nation".
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In what is effectively the World Cup of motorsport, The ROC Nations Cup is the only opportunity for racers from different countries and disciplines of motorsport to compete in equal machinery and on an equal track. Each nation is represented by one motorcycle rider, one rally (or off-road) driver and one circuit racer from leagues such as WRC, Formula 1, CART, IRL, European Touring Cars, Supercross and MotoGP. This year, Team USA Powered by CENTRIX Financial will be represented by:
* Boris Said: 2002 Trans-Am Champion, and driver for BMW in the Speed
World Challenge and American Le Mans Series
* Casey Mears: Driver of the Target car, No. 41, for Chip Ganassi Racing
in NASCAR, son of Indy legend Roger Mears and nephew of four-time Indy
500 winner, Rick Mears
* Travis Pastrana: Multiple Gold Medalist at the X Games and Gravity Games
and the youngest rider to ever represent the USA at the Moto-Cross De
Nations in France.
"We were interested in the Nations Cup because we saw outstanding potential to expand its presence in the U.S. by building on its fifteen year history," said Robert E. Sutton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CENTRIX Financial. "Motorsport represents the pinnacle of performance in the auto industry. Sponsorships like this one are an outstanding opportunity for us to solidify our position in the auto industry while drawing a clear cultural connection between the skill and teamwork present in both the world's top drivers and CENTRIX's culture."
CENTRIX's involvement with the Nations Cup is a further extension of the Company's push into motorsport sponsorship. In 2002, CENTRIX sponsored three Challenge class cars in the Baja 1000, taking the class Championship. This year, the Company has built on its Baja presence, fielding five cars and participating as title sponsor of the CENTRIX Financial Ultimate Baja Challenge. Also in 2003, CENTRIX took title sponsorship honors at the CENTRIX Financial Grand Prix of Denver and has continued its relationship with Team Rahal driver Michel Jourdain, Jr.
Vice President of Marketing and Marketing Strategist at CENTRIX, James Hancock has been involved with the Nations Cup for several years, and is credited with assembling consistently solid and surprising teams for Team USA.
"In 2001, Robby Gordon took the entire competition by surprise when he posted the fastest lap time of the day. In 2002, Jimmie Johnson caught the field off guard and helped lead Team USA to victory," said Hancock. "I am extremely confident that this year's team is well positioned to bring the Cup home again. Casey, Robby and Jimmie all have something in common, sort of Team USA's 'secret weapon' -- they spent years developing their skills off- road in Baja before switching to paved courses."
At the ROC Nations Cup, teams are eliminated based on the number of heat wins and combined time (in the event of a draw). In every match, each racer goes head-to-head against their counterparts (i.e., rally driver v. rally driver, racing driver v. racing driver, etc.), resulting in extremely close action and finishes often separated by only fractions of a second. The team emerging from Saturday's final lays claim to "the world's fastest nation".
About CENTRIX Financial, LLC
Founded in 1990, Denver-based CENTRIX Financial's unique Special Auto Finance programs have helped to put over 70,000 vehicles on the road in the last five years alone. In 1998, the Company's CEO, Robert E. Sutton introduced a new business model that was designed to address the shortcomings in traditional approaches to the special finance market. CENTRIX is leading the evolution of the auto finance industry. For financial institutions, the Company's programs have brought a previously unknown level of security and profitability to the $200 billion special auto finance lending industry, while helping auto dealers find new ways to reach out to a clientele that represents more than 25% of their potential market. Just as importantly, CENTRIX is providing an underserved consumer group the keys to new opportunities at competitive financing rates and with professional service. Today, CENTRIX provides services across the country through agreements with over 6600 dealerships, has over 550 employees and is managing a $1 billion loan portfolio.
For further information, please contact: Information on Centrix Financial, +1-877-236-7679, info@centrixfinancial.com, or Media, Brandon Borrman, Corporate Communications of CENTRIX Financial, +1-303-225-3585, bborrman@centrixfinancial.com.
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