Sat, 20 Dec 2008, 08:10 AM Baytown Ford Signs Deal with Houston Raceway Park

Courtesy of Rob Geiger

BAYTOWN, Texas -- Two venerable Baytown institutions have joined forces in a multi-year motorsports sponsorship agreement with Baytown Ford becoming the Official Car Dealership of Houston Raceway Park. The arrangement makes Ford the Official Vehicle of HRP, Southeast Texas' premier racing facility.

"We're extremely proud to align ourselves with Baytown Ford and the Ford brand," said Seth Angel, Houston Raceway Park's general manager. "Ford celebrated 100 years in 2008 and we celebrated our 20th season and we think that's exciting for both of us.

"The people at Baytown Ford are first-rate and I think that's why they're weathering the current economic downturn better than most. I believe it speaks volumes about their commitment to their current and potential customers by electing to support motor racing here at Houston Raceway Park. We're thrilled to bring them into our family and we hope our fans consider buying their next vehicle from Baytown Ford."

Houston Raceway Park will immediately begin using Ford-branded vehicles for all racetrack-related needs. They've already taken delivery of a 2009 Ford Expedition and a 2009 F-250 Super Duty pick-up truck and will continue converting all of their company vehicles over to the Ford brand in the coming months. Baytown Ford gains a backlit VIP sign on the tower, branding on the guardwalls, two double-sided billboards, a direct link to BaytownFord.com on HoustonRaceway.com, and display space at every event on the HRP race schedule, including the annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals.

Baytown Ford is an important part of motorsports impresario O. Bruton Smith's Sonic Automotive Group, one of the largest dealership groups in the United States. Sonic Automotive Group is a publicly-traded, Fortune 300 company that operates 195 dealership franchises offering 38 different brands at 156 locations.

Located at 4110 Highway 10 East on Baytown's famed Motor Mile, Baytown Ford is consistently ranked as one of the top dealerships in the Greater Houston area and routinely draws customers from the fourth largest city in the U.S. with its exceptional customer relations and friendly sales and service staffs.

Houston Raceway Park consists of a professional-level quarter-mile dragstrip and 3/8-mile dirt oval on its 450 acre site. With permanent seating for 30,000 fans, luxury corporate suites at both tracks, and on-site parking for all of its events, the facility is one of the premier racing destinations in the south.

Complementing its major event schedule, Houston Raceway Park presents a year-round program of special events, including weekly bracket racing, tune-and-test sessions, street racing, junior dragsters, automobile dealer association ride-and-drive programs, television commercial filming, and concerts.

The track is locally owned by the Angel Brothers, who, together with their entire staff, have an extensive background in motorsports and an unwavering commitment toward maintaining the highest standards of Texas pride and professionalism in all areas of track operations and event production.