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Cherryfield’s Andy Santerre and fellow Santerre-Reece Motorsports owners Mike Reece and Briggs Cunningham III have come up with a promotion to allow fans to sponsor the car and have their names on his Busch Grand National series Chevy.
The idea was created when fans e-mailed the team after learning Santerre would not be running in the Hardee’s 250 at Richmond International Raceway on May 4 because he didn’t have a primary sponsor and didn’t want to risk wrecking the car that he would also be using at the following weekend’s CVS Pharmacy 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway.
He has run just four of 15 BGN races so far due to the lack of sponsorship.
Sue Santerre, Andy’s wife and publicist, said an e-mail from Rockland’s Christopher Smith got the ball rolling.
“He said he wished there was a way he could take up a collection to help with the sponsorship,” said Sue Santerre.
Other fans echoed a similar desire to help the team so Sue Santerre ran the proposal through a few of her friends in the public relations and marketing field.
“They thought it was an awesome idea,” said Sue Santerre. “And I figured what do we have to lose?”
It costs anywhere from $75,000-$125,00 to sponsor a car in a BGN race.
The Fan Car will make its debut at Pikes Peak International Raceway (Colo.) on July 28 in the NAPA Auto Care 250. The top 50 sponsors’ names will be placed on the trunk deck and/or rear quarter panels of the 01 Chevy Monte Carlo for the nationally televised race (NBC). The other sponsors will have their names on the Web site and in the newsletter.
“We wanted to try it first in a race we knew we were going to run. Andy has the best record of any Busch Grand National Drivers at Pikes Peak with a first and a third in his three races there,” Sue Santerre said.
That also could be Santerre’s last race of the year depending upon sponsorship. The highest monetary sponsor and a guest will get to attend the Pikes Peak race courtesy of the Santerre-Reece Motorsports team. They will receive garage passes, a pit tour and be an honorary pit crew member.
The only thing that won’t be paid for is airfare.
Santerre’s next BGN race will be the Watkins Glen 200 (N.Y.) on July 8.
He will also run three more Busch North races but that’s a separate deal from his BGN team.
Checks or money orders can be made out to Santerre-Reece Motorsports, Fan Car Sponsorship, 110 A Robinson Road, Mooresville, N.C., 28117.
Sue Santerre added that they are looking into making it possible for fans to charge a donation to their credit cards via the Internet.
The Web site is www.santerre-reece-motorsports.com.
Sue Santerre added that the race team will need to secure a primary sponsor by October or her husband will look to drive for another race team next season.
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