In advance of the Nov. 22 NASCAR Sprint Cup finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Sprint Cup driver Carl “ESPN Body Issue cover model” Edwards, made a stop in South Florida this week.

Edwards, now sponsored by Aflac, wore a company tie covered with ducks, and took a ride on a Duck Tours Miami land and sea vehicle. He even agreed to make one of his signature backflips off the vessel into the bay. See the video below.

The driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion is a fan of the Homestead track, having captured both the Ford 300 Nationwide and Ford 400 Sprint Cup series races during Ford Championship Weekend last year.

> Discuss this entry

The moment of truth – about NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Tony Stewart’s love for Burger King’s Whopper sandwich – takes place at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Stewart has agreed to undergo an hour-long polygraph test with questions submitted by fans.

It’s all part of Miami-based Burger King’s “Tony Stewart School of Endorsements” ad campaign that launched in September and includes CHiPs star Erik Estrada hawking “Estrada” sunglasses and Carrot Top trying to sell a juicer. Stewart tells the class it should “only endorse things you believe in.” Thus the polygraph test, which can be seen at truthabouttony.com.

Meanwhile, Estrada’s sunglasses have become something of a novelty: 150 pairs are being auctioned on eBay with the proceeds going to Burger King’s Have It Your Way Foundation. Check them out at estradaglasses.com, but be forewarned, as the site says, they’re a novelty, not for actually seeing.

> Discuss this entry

In a highly unusual collaboration, 10 South Florida sports teams and events have banded together to sell a package of tickets to 10 different sporting events that saves fans $150 to $550.

The South Florida Super Pass, being sold in limited numbers through Oct. 30, costs $330 for regular seats and $1,125 for premium seats to see the region’s four pro sports teams, NASCAR finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, horse racing at Calder and Gulfstream, soccer, and attend the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament and the World Golf Championship event at Doral.

Getting all the teams and events to agree wasn’t simple. But Aaron Davidson, chairman of the sports committee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, which is selling the ticket, said everyone saw the benefit.

“The economy probably helped. Our South Florida sports market is a challenging one in general,” said Davidson, who is also president of Miami FC soccer team. “Everyone realizes we’ve got to promote our South Florida sports. I hope this joint initiative is the first of many.”

The Super Pass can be purchased at sportssuperpass.com.

Each event works differently and the revenue is shared based on the team or event’s cost, Davidson said.

The Miami Dolphins, for example, are providing a 400 level seat with a food voucher or a Hall of Champions suite seat with food and beverage to the Dec. 27 game against the Houston Texans. The Florida Panthers are offering a goal zone ticket or an ADT Club ticket with food and beverage to any home game this season. Homestead-Miami Speedway is offering a reserved grandstand or Speedway Club seat to the Nov. 22 NASCAR finale.

The idea is to give fans a discount and encourage them to attend an event they might not have considered. Other teams and events have teamed up to sell a joint ticket, but those partnerships typically involve two events or teams. For example, the World Golf Championship and Sony Ericsson Open sold a joint ticket that allowed fans to attend both events, when their schedules overlapped in 2007. This summer, the Cleveland Browns and Indians sold a suite package together that included two Indians games and one Browns game.

Bill Sutton, associate director of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida, applauded the South Florida ticket plan, which he compared to an entertainment book of vouchers and discounts.

“It makes sense,” Sutton said. “It’s one of the hardest hit regions by the economy ... It gives people value and a sampling opportunity.”

> Discuss this entry

Three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves wasn't quite sure what to think when he was approached about being grand marshal of the Great Grove Bed Race -- the revival of the traditional bed races through Miami's Coconut Grove. It's not as if bed races are a Brazilian custom.

"I didn’t know. Bed race? OK, give me a minute to find out what it is," Castroneves said. "When I spoke to my trainer, he said, it’s pretty cool, it’s pretty famous."

According to organizers, it’s been six years since decorated beds and their riders and pushers have raced through the streets of Coconut Grove. With the help of local businesses, Homestead-Miami Speedway (where Castroneves will compete for the IndyCar Series championship on Oct. 10), and others, the race is returning Labor Day Weekend. There are two days of events planned: Saturday, Sept. 5 will feature a Pajama Pub Crawl with a Pajama Party and the race scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 6.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Alonzo Mourning Charities and the University of Miami Sleep Program (it's a bed race!).

Castroneves was joined at the Mayfair Hotel & Spa in the Grove by Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff (in photo from Homestead-Miami Speedway Sarnoff is on the left; Diaz to the right) to announce the driver and Dancing with the Stars Season 5 winner's participation as grand marshal and celebrity judge. Castroneves will judge race entries for theme, decor and overall creativity.

With those duties, Castroneves might be too busy to race. Entries must be twin-sized beds with one participant in the bed and four others pushing it. "I love racing," Castroneves said adding that he's never participated in a bed race. "Certainly it's something different. If you want to win, you don't want to be sleepy."

Sarnoff says he might participate as he did nearly a dozen years ago. He was already musing about Castroneves' chances.

"I’m trying to figure out if Helio is going to run the Posturepedic, or which one he's going to use," Sarnoff said. "I heard he’s going to use the Sleep Number, because it’s lighter and it much more imitates the car that he drives. I don’t know if that’s going to be allowed."

Diaz also had a little fun at Castroneves' expense, reminding that the return of the event is good fun for the community and beneficial for the charities.

"We have such great programs and such great people in Miami like Helio and Alonzo, who are people who are known worldwide, people who serve as role models and inspiration," Diaz said. "They live here in Miami, they call Miami home, they love Miami, and ... they pay taxes in Miami," he said before letting out a chuckle.

Castroneves was acquitted this spring of federal tax evasion charges.

But Diaz doesn't want to stop at bed races.

"Commissioner Sarnoff and I are working on another event," Diaz said, "a Coconut Grove dance-off and we're challenging Helio."

He was just kidding.

> Discuss this entry

Three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves is thrilled the IndyCar Series will open its 2010 season March 14 in his native Brazil. He’s even been lobbying Brazilian President Lula da Silva for the race to be held in his hometown of Ribeirao Preto. A decision on the race's location is expected within the next month.

He expected his meeting with da Silva last month to be 15 minutes but it lasted an hour and 15 minutes, Castroneves said Tuesday during a break testing luxury sports cars at Homestead-Miami Speedway for Maxim Magazine’s November Dream Cars issue. (See photo courtesy of Homestead-Miami Speedway). The season 5 Dancing with the Stars champion didn’t want to say too much about his hope that his hometown will host the race.

“Well, I’m suspicious to talk about it, but yes, my hometown always gave me such incredible support since I was in go karts,” Castroneves said. “They are part of my dream come true. They helped me to achieve what I achieved, for me I’ll never forget that. So it’d be great to at least be there and able to promote the town because the town is great. I was raised there it would d be awesome, if it works it’d be a dream come true, if it doesn’t work, it would be great to at least be in Brazil.”

Castroneves said da Silva even asked whether he drove as well as he danced. The experience was such a positive one, Castroneves keeps hoping he and his team will have a chance to meet President Barack Obama one day.

“I wish I have the opportunity now to do the same thing in America, because my team is America, I would love them to have the opportunity to meet the president as well, like the previous American drivers did,” Castroneves said of previous American drivers, who have won the Indy 500. "I know I’m not American, but I would love to give this opportunity for my guys because they deserve it.”

Castroneves said other non-American Indy 500 winners have also not been invited to the White House. He hopes to change that, but even if he has to skip the visit, he’d like his team to go.

“I won three times, man. I mean it’s sad because my guys are American, they deserve to be there as well. I’m the driver, I’m the one carrying the car, but they are the ones putting everything together,” he said. “I think it would be fair for them. If they don’t want me there, I want at least my guys there, hopefully we make it happen.”

Castroneves, who was acquitted of tax evasion earlier this year, won the Indy 500 just days after the final count against him was dropped. He missed the first race of the season and thinks it could still be a long shot to keep alive the streak of the past four Indy 500 winners also winning the IndyCar Series championship. But he’s not giving up hope.

“I would love to keep the tradition going, but it’s one of those things, you can’t just rely on the fact it happens in the past, you’ve just got to go and continue working,” he said. “Certainly missing the first race makes it a little bit tougher, but that also brings us a huge opportunity, because it’s tougher, we want to do it more, you want to make it happen … There are still five races to go. Hopefully we can do it.

Castroneves said he’d also like to win a championship at his home track. Homestead-Miami Speedway hosts the IndyCar Series finale Oct. 10 and again next year.

“Bringing the championship down to Homestead, man it would be a lot of fun,” Castroneves said adding that none of the sport’s drivers who live in Miami has won at Homestead. “We have a lot of opportunities, a lot of drivers who live here, so hopefully this year we can make it happen.”

After test driving the Dream Cars (Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche and Corvette) for Maxim, Castroneves, who drives an Acura RL, is less sure about his choice for an exotic car. He enjoyed driving all of the fancy cars for different reasons.

"I’m shopping for a new car, it’s great to find out, hmmm which one am I going to have here," Castroneves said. "I like all of them, so more doubts here."

> Discuss this entry

When he announced last summer that he was switching depots – from a sponsorship with Home Depot to one with Office Depot – starting this season, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart also got a new number, switching from No. 20 to No. 14.

Now Boca Raton-based Office Depot, which is a co-primary sponsor of Stewart’s No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala, is asking fans to “Show Us Your 14” with an online photo contest. Fans can submit photos showing their support for two-time Sprint Cup champion Stewart with creative displays of the No. 14. That means anything from ‘14’ carved into haircuts to tattoos to lawn ornaments. Already, fans have submitted photos of ‘14’ in lipstick, landscaping, and on their bare backs.

The grand prize is a Hewlett-Packard package that includes a desktop and notebook computers, fax-printer, ink packs, and photo paper. First and second prize winners will receive a selection of HP items as well. And all entrants receive a 14 percent off coupon at Office Depot.

Enter through Aug. 31 by submitting photos up to 2MB at OfficeDepotRacing.com. Stewart, who is the current points leader in this year’s Sprint Cup Series, will be judging the photos.

“NASCAR fans are the most passionate fans in all of sports, and I can’t wait to see all the creative ways people incorporate the number 14 into their lives. I think I’m going to see some very imaginative stuff!” Stewart said in a statement.

> Discuss this entry

OK, not the whole team, but a piece of a team? Boca Raton-based iTeam Sports, which launched last year to provide fans an opportunity to become team owners, recently forged a partnership with HVM Racing, which has two cars competing in Sunday’s Indy 500.

iTeam’s model allows fans to pay typically $150 to $200 to invest in a minor league sports franchise. That investment provides no monetary return, but gives fans the right to be called “owner” as well as merchandise, ticket discounts, and unique access to team officials and players. They also become part of an online social network for each team.

The company launched with three independent baseball teams last year: the Atlantic City Surf in New Jersey and Texas-based Grand Prairie AirHogs and El Paso Diablos. Read the story I wrote about the company’s launch last October here.

But iTeam always planned to expand to other sports, including auto racing. In fact, iTeam President Steven Levenson said, partnering with an IndyCar team works well for attracting fans nationally.

“The stick and ball sports are very regionalized to where the team is,” Levenson said. “The appeal with motorsports is national and international … it’s a different model.”

For $199, fans can own a stake in Indianapolis-based HVM Racing -- read more about the partnership here. Team drivers E.J. Viso (No. 13) and Nelson Philipe (No. 00) are competing in the Indy 500. The partnership is exclusive through 2011.

“Racing fans are very engaged with their favorite teams, and this arrangement lets them get even more involved, probably more than they even thought possible,” HVM Racing Team Principal Keith Wiggins said in a statement.

iTeam has a booth at this weekend’s Indy 500, and representatives are handing out postcards explaining the deal. The company is running ads on other Web sites and pitching the investment as a gift idea, including for Father’s Day.

“You can sit and watch the race and say I’m a fan of so and so. It’s another thing to say I’m a fan of this team because I own this team,” said Bob Margolis, an iTeam spokesman. “It’s an opportunity to be Chip Ganassi or Roger Penske without the headaches.”

> Discuss this entry

Boca Raton-based Office Depot has launched this year’s version of its “Official Small Business of NASCAR” sweepstakes, in which a company with 99 employees or fewer can win its logo on the back of Tony Stewart’s Chevy Impala for a race.

The sweepstakes runs through May 31 and includes a chance to win the company’s logo on the rear panel of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy driven by Stewart during the Pep Boys Auto 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Atlanta on Sept. 6. Other items in the grand prize package include a $14,000 small business makeover by the office products supplier, the use of the “Official Small Business of NASCAR Courtesy of Office Depot” logo for a year, stationery and business cards.

In addition to Stewart’s participation, also new to the contest this year is a $1,400 Office Depot gift card, which is given to one winner every day of the sweepstakes.

“I know how challenging it is to build a successful business and how much hard work it takes,” Stewart said in a statement. “The Official Small Business of NASCAR Sweepstakes, Courtesy of Office Depot is a dream come true for a small business to get its name out there in front of millions of people.”

Stewart, who switched to the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy after last season, is a driver/team owner with Stewart-Haas Racing and is also owner of legendary Ohio short track, Eldora Speedway, and is part owner of two other tracks.

Businesses can enter in person at Office Depot locations or online daily during the sweepstakes. The public can also nominate businesses. For more information, visit officedepotracing.com.

> Discuss this entry

Tickets go on sale Monday for the six auto racing series championships Homestead-Miami Speedway will host this fall.

Tickets for adults start at $30 for the SpeedJam Championships (IndyCar, Indy Lights and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car championships) that will be held Oct. 9-10; and $55 for the Ford Championship Weekend (NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck series championships) Nov. 20-22.

But this year, the speedway is offering discounts and promotions, including a season ticket package to both weekends starting at $130, which represents a $55 savings off face value; and kids 12 and under will be admitted free to the SpeedJam weekend, with 13 to 16 year olds admitted for $15. At Ford Championship Weekend, kids 12 and under will be admitted free to the truck series finale and for $15 to the Nationwide finale.

The speedway is billing the fall as “Six Races, Six Championships, in Six Weeks” and hopes fans will want to attend both race weekends.

“We’re hoping that because now we’ve got all the championships, we’re hoping to grow that segment,” speedway President Curtis Gray said. “We’ve got a fan base that loves to go to big time championship events. The NASCAR fan that goes to an IndyCar race, can’t believe how exciting it is. The same thing for the IndyCar fan going to a NASCAR race. The difference is it’s the championship race.”

You can buy tickets in advance at two presale events this weekend:

During a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix watching event at 7 p.m. Saturday at Bokamper's Sports Bar, 1280 N. Pine Island Rd., Plantation; or at an IndyCar Grand Prix at Long Beach watching event at 2:30 p.m. at Buffalo Wild Wings, 20505 S. Dixie Highway in Cutler Bay.

Fans purchasing tickets on Monday will be entered to win an Official Indy Experience Two-Seater Ride at the track on May 17. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 866-409-RACE or visit www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.

> Discuss this entry

With sports teams, leagues and events beginning to understand their Latino fan bases better, Hispanic Market Weekly has added the sports business to its roster of weekly features.

“HispanicSportsBusiness” appears on Fridays in the Coral Gables-based online publication that covers Hispanic business trends, advertising and media. The section focuses on deals, marketing, and other efforts sports are using to reach the Hispanic market.

The section first launched April 3 and in its first two editions has included stories about a study NASCAR commissioned to learn more about its Latino fans; Mexican beer Tecate title sponsoring boxing on ESPN; and how the Houston Astros are catering to their Hispanic fans, who represent a variety of cultures and income levels.

The section, which also has included sports business news briefs on broadcast deals and coverage of the IMG World Congress of Sports conference in Miami earlier this month, aims to cover the dollars associated with soccer, football, baseball, basketball, auto racing and extreme sports.

“We’re about following the money, following the dollars,” said Adam Jacobson, HispanicSportsBusiness associate editor. “The Hispanic sports fan represents a huge part of the U.S. consumer base. Retailers understand this. Sports franchises are just beginning to understand this -- that the growth lies in the Hispanic fan base.”

> Discuss this entry

It’s mostly sports fans who are using Twitter.com to update scores, pontificate about various players and plays and trash talk. Some are even “tweeting” live from games and placing friendly wagers. But teams and events are increasingly realizing they need to be tweeting, too.

My story today examines how teams and events are incorporating social messaging system, Twitter, which allows users to send and receive messages of up to 140 characters, into their media, marketing and promotions. Teams are posting news stories, updates, scores, ticket discounts, promotions and more.

Reach the Dolphins here; the Heat here. The Panthers are in the process of launching an account and the Marlins are in talks with Major League Baseball Advanced Media, which controls the league’s new media rights, about setting up an account.

Even Homestead-Miami Speedway just started using Twitter this month to post news, driver quotes and even responses to Speedway Motorsports CEO Bruton Smith’s diatribe against Homestead last week. Check out the speedway’s twitter page here.

Are you talking sports on Twitter? Live tweeting from games? Let me know....

> Discuss this entry

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and race team owner Tony Stewart is already an Office Depot customer. The Boca Raton-based office products retailer is co-primary sponsor of Stewart’s car this season and outfits Stewart-Haas Racing with its office equipment.

So, Office Depot is offering up a chance to win a $14,000 shopping spree with Stewart in one of its stores. The prize is part of a VIP race experience package at the May 23-24 Coca-Cola 600 race weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., that includes a ride-a-long with Stewart.

To enter Office Depot’s “At The Speed of Smart” sweepstakes visit officedepotracing.com and enter the transaction code that can be found on the receipt from an Office Depot purchase, through Feb. 28. There’s also a way to enter without making a purchase.

The company is using the sweepstakes to promote its products and its new sponsorship of Stewart.

“I’m excited to hang out with the winner during the ultimate Office Depot shopping spree,” Stewart said in a statement. “We’re going to have a great time…and I even promise to help push the shopping cart!”

> Discuss this entry

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Tony Stewart appears to have easily made the switch of depots this year. Stewart, who has replaced his longtime primary sponsor Home Depot with a co-primary sponsorship between Office Depot and Old Spice, visited the Boca Raton campus of the office products retailer earlier this month.

He signed autographs, posed for photos with employees and talked about what it’s like to run his own race team. And as he was getting ready to leave the stage, where he’d spoken with employees, he said, “Oh, one more thing,” and then he surprised Office Depot officials by pledging a $100,000 donation to the Office Depot Foundation.

Stewart is so popular that Office Depot, which previously sponsored Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards, has received a number of requests for NASCAR Hero cards featuring the driver, and has sent out about 200 just in the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, Stewart is getting support from another South Florida corporation. Miami-based Burger King signed a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Stewart last week. It’s also getting the primary paint scheme on Stewart’s car for two races this season: on July 4 at Daytona International Speedway and Sept. 27 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

It just so happens Burger King is also an Office Depot customer.

> Discuss this entry

Jimmie Johnson just made history, becoming only the second driver in NASCAR history to win back-to-back-to-back Sprint Cup championship titles. He’s well-spoken, clean-cut and has one of the sport’s biggest corporations – Lowe’s -- supporting him.

So will he finally break through and become more marketable than his fellow drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and even Carl Edwards, his runner-up for this year’s championship? Not likely, experts say.

Oh sure, he’s marketable. He even shot a commercial last week before the Ford 400 Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But he doesn’t have that certain something.

“Call him the Roger Federer of NASCAR,” said Bob Dorfman, executive creative director at Baker Street Partners and author of The Sports Marketers’ Scouting Report. “Maybe Johnson is too cool and laid back on camera to the point of seeming a little stiff and aloof, and a question mark as a compelling pitchman. Given the state of the current economy, and the tight purse strings of marketers, it’s doubtful that Johnson’s third straight NASCAR championship will lead to new major endorsement deals.”

Dorfman predicts Johnson will make the rounds of talk shows and speaking engagements.

According to Millsport Motorsports’ Davie Brown Index, which uses consumer research to measure the attributes of athletes and celebrities, Earnhardt tops the list of NASCAR drivers among both avid NASCAR fans and the general population. Gordon and Stewart also beat out Johnson.

“He’s dry,” said Joe Castello, who hosts radio shows about auto racing on both 790 The Ticket and Sirius XM. “His style was to be the polished marketable guy, the polished pristine vanilla guy that’s corporate and that got him to where he is. But fans don’t like that. Fans don’t like the vanilla guy. Fans like the Tony Stewart, fans like the guy who’s going to do something against the grain.”

But there’s no question Johnson is marketable, Castello said. “He doesn’t sell as many T-shirts as Earnhardt, as Stewart. “He’s a California kid, understated, that doesn’t make you want to run out and get his T-shirt. His fans are passionate.”

And if you win three consecutive championships, that’s got to mean something, Castello said. “You’ve got to respect that.”

Meanwhile, Lowe’s is offering a discount on Kobalt Tools in Johnson’s honor. Find the details on our Shop-O-Matic blog.

And don’t forget to check out my guest blogs at CNBC, here and here.

> Discuss this entry

NASCAR announced Friday – at the opening of its season finale weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway – that it is banning all testing at NASCAR-sanctioned tracks next year. The move is aimed at saving teams millions of dollars in an economy that is already hitting the sport hard.

The Homestead track wasn’t on the open testing schedule, meaning it won’t be losing out on valuable revenue, speedway President Curtis Gray said.

“We support NASCAR’s decision because we need the full teams,” Gray said. “If it saves costs and it makes the teams stronger, than we’re all for that.”

But Homestead, which is busy with racing and a host of other activities about 260 days a year, will continue looking for other ways to generate revenue.

“We have sports groups who want to use the venue for other sporting events, running and biking,” Gray said. “I think we’re wide open for ideas that make the track as active as possible.”

That includes renting out the track’s sparkling new media center. Already, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau is planning a convention event there, Gray said.

GUEST BLOGGING

I’m guest blogging today at CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell’s blog. Please check out my blog entries there.

> Discuss this entry

NASCAR, by its very nature, is the anti-green sport: fuel, fast cars, tires upon tires.

But that doesn’t mean efforts aren’t being made to recycle and cut down on printing.

Going to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend for Ford Championship Weekend? You’ll find recycling bins throughout the concourse and hospitality areas. Workers will sweep the grandstand twice after each race – first for items that can be recycled, a second time to collect the trash.

Meanwhile, NASCAR is becoming more conscientious about its printing. For the 2009 season, media guides will be available in English, Spanish and French, but there will be fewer paper copies. The sport plans to print 1,750 media guides down from 6,000 and supplement those with some 2,000 flash drives that will include the media guides. Delray Beach-based Office Depot, a NASCAR sponsor, will supply the flash drives.

And speaking of sponsors, Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis has taken an unusual step for Saturday’s Nationwide Series Ford 300: covering Ryan Newman’s No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet with the colors and logo of Christopher Columbus High School. The car will not feature the names of any companies – just the colors and logo for the all-boys Catholic high school in Miami in celebration of the school’s 50th anniversary.

Lemonis is a 1991 graduate of the school. The value of putting the school’s name on the car is estimated at $250,000. Camping World agreed last month to a seven-year deal to title sponsor NASCAR’s truck series beginning next season.

> Discuss this entry

NASCAR driver Carl Edwards carried a marriage proposal on the back of his No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race in Charlotte in May.

The proposal was part of a contest sponsored by Edwards' primary sponsor, Delray Beach-based office products retailer Office Depot, and it came with a diamond ring and a trip to Sedona, Ariz.

Now Edwards, who is in second place in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup just 106 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson, has turned to Office Depot for help with his own nuptials.

Edwards and fiancée Dr. Kate Downey, a friend from his hometown of Columbia Mo., picked out their wedding invitation stationery (see the pattern by Gartner) from their local Office Depot store and are letting Office Depot’s Design Print and Ship service do the rest.

How’s that for sponsor loyalty?

With NASCAR’s 10-month schedule that ends Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, there’s little time off, but Edwards’ big day is planned in January. He’s also switching primary sponsors next year … to Aflac. Looks like he got his wedding invitations in under the wire.

> Discuss this entry

In two days, South Florida has added two more major events to its already packed sports calendar. Is it possible for the region to become even bigger on the sports map?

On Wednesday, the Indy Racing League unveiled its 2009 IndyCar Series schedule and rather than kicking off the season, Homestead-Miami Speedway will host the finale of the 18-race schedule on Oct. 11, 2009.

It’s not NASCAR, but as you know, the speedway already hosts the final races in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup series on the third weekend of November.

That means two championship events in five weeks. Speedway President Curtis Gray couldn’t be happier.

“We brand our speedway as your championship track,” he said. “Now it really is America’s ultimate championship motoropspots track. It is the first time NASCAR and Indy Car have ended their series at the same track.”

Look for the track to package tickets for the two events together and to pitch sponsors on investing in both. Despite its international flavor and increasing star power that includes Danica Patrick and two-time Indy 500 champion and Dancing with the Stars winner Helio Castroneves, the Indy race at Homestead has never been as popular at the track as the NASCAR event.

Will you be interested in attending now that it will be the championship event? Do you think crowds will grow as a result?

And on Thursday, Major League Baseball announced that Dolphin Stadium and the Marlins will host six second-round games in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, March 14-19. The games will pit the four winners and second-place finishers from the opening rounds being played in Toronto, which will host Canada, Italy, United States and Venezuela, and in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which is hosting the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Panama and Puerto Rico.

MLB President Bob DuPuy said baseball officials have always believed South Florida is a “good baseball market.” DuPuy said the Miami Gardens venue was chosen for a number of reasons. MLB wanted to ensure there were second round games held on both the east and west coasts for television and liked the region’s Latin influence since several of the teams are from Latin countries.

They liked that Dolphin Stadium is a veteran of hosting large events, including two World Series and four Super Bowls. Even more telling might be that the decision was made as the Marlins were completing their ballpark financing plan with Miami and Miami-Dade County.

“When we made the decision we had a stadium deal. It was in part a show of good faith we would consider Miami for significant jewel events, given the imminent construction of a ballpark and the agreement had been reached,” DuPuy said. “Since the decision has been made, there are developments that are troublesome, but we are announcing Miami is hosting the second round and that only enhances the public purpose of a baseball stadium. Without a Major League Baseball stadium, there would be no World Baseball Classic.”

Are you interested in the WBC? Will you attend?

> Discuss this entry

Talk about coincidence.

Boca Raton’s Ryan Hunter-Reay won his first IndyCar Series race on Sunday.

It was good timing since he was already a towering figure in Times Square. Well, his likeness anyway, in an 80-foot tall billboard for sponsor Izod.

The billboard originally said “I am next,” but check out how Izod changed the ad to read “I am now,” after Hunter-Reay’s win at Watkins Glen, N.Y.

“The timing with the win and everything, it’s unreal,” an awed Hunter-Reay said by phone on his way to the billboard’s official unveiling Monday afternoon. “Right in Times Square, the busiest intersection in New York. It’s indescribable.”

Hunter-Reay loves the idea people might not be recognize the 2008 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year.

“That’s the beautiful thing about that,” he said. “They will say ‘Who is that?’ They’ll check out the IndyCar thing.”

> Discuss this entry

Dunkin’ Donuts keeps expanding its relationship with sports.

The company is capitalizing on baseball’s popularity this summer with its Bases Loaded promotion that combines free food and other prizes with a video game component that allows fans to face one of two pitchers online to try to get a hit. Dunkin’ is partnering with MLB, the MLB Players Association and 2K Sports.

Through Sept. 30, all cups of cold Dunkin' beverages – iced tea and coffee and smoothies – come with a peel-away sticker that carries a login code for fans to win prizes and coupons for flatbread sandwiches and pizzas. At dunkindonuts.com/basesloaded, baseball fans can choose to face either New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain or Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to try to get a hit. Prizes include 2K Sports games, high definition TVs, and Xbox video game systems.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels and Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir are also helping advertise the promotion in their markets – meaning the Rays' success on the field is getting them notice off the field, too. Fans in most Florida counties -- excluding South Florida and the Treasure Coast -- will also be eligible to win Rays tickets and a trip to Boston to see a Rays-Red Sox game.

Meanwhile, the Massaschusetts company also got involved with NASCAR this past weekend, stopping at Daytona International Speedway for the Nationwide Series Daytona 250 on July 4. A Dunkin' logo and hot coffee cup appeared on driver Eric McClure’s No. 24 car and his crew got Dunkin’ items for meals last Thursday and Friday.

> Discuss this entry

Looking for a way to save on your rising gas bill? NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon knows how.

He’s partnered with Sunrise-based N2Revolution to promote the company’s PurigeN98, a high-purity nitrogen tire inflation system. PurigeN98 helps keep tires properly inflated, thereby reducing fuel costs and improving the car’s handling. Nitrogen-filled tires also reduce fuel emissions, according to a company release.

The release quotes U.S. Department of Energy stats saying: “Americans waste 10 million gallons of fuel every day by driving on under-inflated tires. Annually this amounts to 3.6 billion gallons of wasted fuel and 77 billion pounds of greenhouse gases needlessly dispersed.”

Gordon has used the high purity nitrogen for his racecar’s tires for years, but he can use it in his non-racing vehicles as well. And so can consumers. The system is available at some car dealers, tire stores and service centers. Check here, to find a dealer.

The system is also being used by the Jeff Gordon and Mario Andretti racing schools, which operate NASCAR and IndyCar driving experiences, respectively, for fans at 16 tracks across the country, including Homestead-Miami Speedway.

> Discuss this entry

The winner of Office Depot’s and Harlequin Enterprises' “Say Yes to a Winning Proposal” contest will have his or her marriage proposal unveiled Saturday at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race in Charlotte.

The question will go spinning around the track on the back of Carl Edwards’ No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion. It’s just one of the many ways NASCAR sponsors are working to bring the regular fan as close as possible to the sport. The winner also gets a diamond ring and trip to Sedonar, Ariz.

Delray Beach-based Office Depot is collecting entries for its “Official Small Business of NASCAR” sweepstakes through June 22. That contest will allow a business with 99 or fewer employees to put its name on the back of Edwards’ car for one race – Sept. 28 in Kansas -- and in a less prominent spot for other races during the rest of the season. The company also gets a $10,000 business makeover and to use “Official Small Business of NASCAR” on stationery and business cards for a year.

The office products company has added a new component to the contest, now in its fourth year: the opportunity to increase your entries by asking friends and family to nominate your business online. The company launched “Connect with Carl,” which allows you to send recorded messages from Edwards asking to nominate your business, enter the sweepstakes or just visit the company’s racing Web site. The messages can be customized with your name and a variety of descriptions of the recipients – the technology isn’t new, but somehow it’s always entertaining.

> Discuss this entry

It took 50 starts, but Danica Patrick was confident she’d eventually win a race and would not become known as the Anna Kournikova of auto racing.

Now that she won the Indy Japan 300 – becoming the first woman to win an open-wheel race -- will the Indy Racing League’s most marketable star be even more marketable?

After all, her sponsor roster includes Tissot, GoDaddy.com, Motorola, and she appeared in a bikini in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit issue. AirTran capitalized immediately with a commemorative plane called “AirTranica Won” – that bears her photo and is expected to be on planes through the IRL season.

Bob Dorfman, executive creative director of Baker Street Partners in San Francisco, says her first win could be worth at least $1 million more.

“Her current marketing partners will spend more on her, and new companies who may have discounted her driving talents will now consider her more seriously,” Dorfman said. “This opens her up to more performance-based products, as well as any advertiser to women with an ‘achieve your dreams’ message. It means a marketing portfolio that’s less cheesecake, and more blue chip.”

But Mike Bartelli, president of motorsports for Millsport, isn’t convinced the win will do much more for Patrick or the IRL.

"I believe it will help her marketability some, but given that her success off the track these last few years has been disproportionate to her success on the track, and given that IndyCar is a niche sport and will remain so for the foreseeable future, I don't think it will make a
significant difference to the scope of her appeal," Bartelli said.

"Will she likely see a few more endorsement opportunities? Probably,” he said. “Will this win, alone, translate into substantial growth for the IRL? Probably not."

> Discuss this entry