Martinsville: BAM Racing preview

BAM RACING WELCOMES MICROSOFT SMALL BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 26, 2008) -- NASCAR Sprint Cup No. 49 Team, BAM Racing, announced today that Microsoft® joins the team in a multifaceted capacity that includes a Diamond Sponsorship as well as a strategic offering. The two companies are excited to provide current and future members of the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community the opportunity to leverage BAM Racing's ground-breaking Diamond Sponsorship Program enhanced with added features and a reduced price - available only through this offer at 49Team.com.

"We're always excited and appreciative when a new sponsor joins our team," said team owner Beth Ann Morgenthau. "We're honored that the small business initiative that drives our Diamond Sponsorship Program caught the attention and ultimately the participation of Microsoft. Small business is the backbone of this great country and our goal is to have small business as the backbone of our team as well. We're thrilled to now be working with Microsoft to achieve that goal."

According to Eric Ligman, Microsoft U.S. senior manager of small business community engagement, "This sponsorship, which showcases Microsoft Small Business as well as our Microsoft Small Business Specialist Partners, will not only raise more awareness of the professional solutions, services and assistance available to small businesses everywhere from Microsoft and its partners, but will provide an exciting opportunity for our Microsoft Small Business Specialist Partners to tap into a marketing venue not seen as financially viable before. This is a very exciting opportunity to work with all of our Microsoft Small Business Specialist Partners and BAM Racing to really drive some awareness around the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community and Microsoft small business solutions."

The chief architect of the new program, ARMER Holding (ARMER), found it necessary to $B!F(Jlook outside the box' in addressing revenue generation in a sport addicted to high dollar sponsorships. "The solution came through the marriage of high-tech programming with a creative small business initiative that throws open the door for smaller companies with limited advertising budgets to enter the sport," said Larry Erdos, CEO of ARMER Holding. "Not only does the Diamond Sponsorship Program make sponsorship affordable to small businesses nationwide, it provides each new Diamond Sponsor with complimentary turnkey sponsorship activation tools unique in the sport. We're thrilled Microsoft has caught our vision for the program and decided to promote it to their small business network."

While striving to improve its financial prospects with the innovative Diamond Sponsorship Program, BAM Racing is making significant changes on the performance side also. Beginning this weekend in Martinsville, driver Ken Schrader will be piloting a Toyota Camry. According to team co-owner Tony Morgenthau, "We had a great seven-year run with Dodge, but as a single-car team we took a long hard look at all the manufacturers. The bottom line is that we found Toyota to be the most committed to racing and the absolute best fit for our team. We're not satisfied with being an $B!F(Jalso-ran' so we are looking to significantly improve our performance. The switch to Toyota should help BAM Racing realize that goal."

-credit: bam