Nikon naming rights sponsor for SuperGP

NIKON ANNOUNCED AS NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR FOR 2009 SUPERGP

SuperGP General Manager Greg Hooton and Nikon Australia General Manager of Sales and Marketing James Murray, have today announced that the photographics company will be the naming rights sponsor of the 2009 Nikon SuperGP.

Regarded as a world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology, Nikon will also have the first option on continuing the agreement past the 2009 event.

Nikon SuperGP General Manager Greg Hooton welcomed the partnership with Nikon, who was also the naming rights sponsor of the 2008 event.

"The Nikon SuperGP will see a new era of motorsport on the streets of the Gold Coast over the four days and nights, and I couldn't be happier to welcome a blue-chip international partner in Nikon back to the event on the cusp of the newest installment for the world's best motorsport entertainment festival," said Hooton.

"The speed at which the IMG sales team was able to re-engage Nikon's involvement is testament to the strength of this iconic event.

"Nikon is globally recognised for setting new standards in product design and performance - a perfect fit for our world-class event, which was proved in 2008 and will again be proven this year.

"With less than 50 days remaining before the V8 Supercars and A1GP World Cup of Motorsport hit our streets, the preparations are charging along full steam ahead and it is great to see Nikon announced as our new naming rights sponsor to top that off."

The Nikon SuperGP will bring four days of motorsport entertainment to the streets of Surfers Paradise including the stars of A1GP and the V8 Supercar Championship Series, as well as plenty of on and off track entertainment, Australian Defence Force displays, the TW Steel Miss SuperGP competition and racing from support categories.

Globally recognised for setting new standards in product design and performance, the new partnership sees Nikon reunited with the event widely regarded as a 'crown jewel' in international motorsport after a successful partnership in 2008.

"Motor Sport is always a major occasion for photography, and with the Nikon SuperGP entering a new era this year I am sure an even more sensational spectacle than ever before is guaranteed," said James Murray, General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Nikon Australia.

"Our experience with the event in 2008 was fantastic and we really wanted to be a part of it again, however early in the year the Global Economic Crisis saw us have to reassess our commitment and we were unfortunately unable to look at a full-scale sponsorship agreement, which wasn't fair to the event.

"However, in light of the situation now and with a more optimistic climate ahead of us, we have been able to rejoin with the event for 2009 which I know is something everyone at Nikon is very pleased about."

The 2009 Nikon SuperGP will host Event 11 of the V8 Supercars Championship Series and the first round of the 2009/10 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport.