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ServiceMaster Clean Inks Multi-Year Sponsorship Deal with ISC and SMI Race Tracks

Posted on: Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 17:34 CST

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- ServiceMaster Clean announced today that it has signed a unique partnership agreement to be the first-ever official sponsor of the caution period during races at International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and Speedway Motorsports Incorporated (SMI) race tracks across the nation. When there is a problem on the track, the ServiceMaster Clean Yellow Flag will wave, and the company's familiar yellow trucks will be dispatched to clean the track.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090114/CLW092-a

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090114/CLW092-b http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080830/SRVCMSTRLOGO)

In racing, a yellow flag means cleaning. Restoration must be done quickly and professionally in order to get back to racing. In homes and businesses across North America, a yellow ServiceMaster Clean van means cleaning and restoration is being done quickly and professionally by America's number one cleaning team.

"The idea of a racing sponsorship has been one that has generated a lot of excitement within our franchise network," said Jim Wassell, chief marketing officer of ServiceMaster Clean. "Fan loyalty to partners and sponsors is immeasurable, and we recognize that they historically support and invest in companies that share their passion for the sport of racing."

Wassell also noted NASCAR has made strides in conservation and consumption and is in the process of leading an industry-wide initiative to address the environment. The plan is to include a substantial group of environmental experts and motorsports industry constituents to ensure that all perspectives are taken into consideration. In turn, ServiceMaster Clean's forward-thinking approach to "green" responsibility lends additional credibility to the relationship.

ServiceMaster Clean will have official and exclusive sponsorship of the Yellow Flag- now to be known as ServiceMaster Clean Caution periods - at all 19 ISC and SMI race tracks around the country. These racetracks feature 31 Sprint Cup, 24 Nationwide and 17 Camping World Truck Series races and hundreds of other racing events. In fact, there will hardly be a race for the next five years where ServiceMaster Clean does not have a large presence. All cleaning and drying vehicles and equipment will feature the ServiceMaster Clean logo and colors, and the clean-up teams will wear bright yellow ServiceMaster Clean jumpsuits.

The multi-year agreement is not limited to what happens on the track, but also includes national coverage on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Performance Racing Network (PRN), hospitality events for franchise owners, the right to create and sell promotional merchandise and a host of other marketing opportunities designed to generate consistent visibility.

Daryl Wolfe, vice president and chief marketing officer for ISC said, "This agreement further demonstrates the significant marketing value of our breadth of assets and the ongoing viability of motorsports as an effective business building opportunity. Our nationwide footprint of facilities and season-long schedule of premier events, including the DAYTONA 500(R) and the Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, help businesses build and maintain yearlong awareness with the most avid fans in major sports. We welcome ServiceMaster Clean to our family of partners and look forward to a long and successful relationship."

Kyle Petty also has partnered with ServiceMaster Clean to help promote this unique sponsorship. The Petty name is one of the most prominent in NASCAR history, as Kyle won his first significant race at the 1979 Daytona ARCA 200 in a Dodge Magnum, at the time becoming the youngest driver to win a major league stock car event. He is quite active in charitable causes, most notably the Victory Junction Gang Camp for terminally ill children, which he established to honor his late son, Adam.

"There is simply no better company to have associated with race track clean-up than the premier cleaning and restoration company -- ServiceMaster Clean," Petty said.

He also added, "ServiceMaster Clean is well known for providing peace of mind to customers, and for going above and beyond customer expectations. These key service components dovetail very nicely with this racing sponsorship. And, history has played a significant role in both our organizations. Our success comes from standing on the shoulders of those who came before us, in racing and in cleaning. We both bring a proud history and a spirit of success, winning, teamwork and pride with us to work every day."

Michael Burch, vice president of business development for Speedway Motorsports, Inc., stated the sponsorship is a natural fit, given ServiceMaster Clean's business focus. "ServiceMaster Clean has been working for fans for decades, from cleaning homes and businesses to helping recover from fires and floods," said Burch. "Our partnership will be a great platform to see the ServiceMaster brand in action by getting the track cleaned up for racing and helping us make our world-class speedways even better."

With more than 4,500 franchise locations around the world, ServiceMaster Clean serves customers through a global network of franchises that provide janitorial services, commercial carpet cleaning, hard surface floor care, residential carpet cleaning and upholstery, and disaster restoration services. The company has been a market leader more than 70 years.

About ServiceMaster Clean

ServiceMaster Clean is part of the ServiceMaster family of brands, one of the world's largest and most versatile service networks. The company's brands include TruGreen, TruGreen LandCare, Terminix, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. ServiceMaster Clean is committed to its franchise owners. Our ability to offer qualified prospects up to 80 percent financing to start their cleaning business is only one of the benefits of our program. Visit our franchise website to learn more about the opportunities available with ServiceMaster Clean.

About International Speedway Corporation

International Speedway Corporation is a leading promoter of motorsports activities, currently promoting more than 100 racing events annually as well as numerous other motorsports-related activities. The company owns and/or operates 13 of the nation's major motorsports entertainment facilities, including Daytona International Speedway(R) in Florida (home of the Daytona 500(R)); Talladega Superspeedway(R) in Alabama; Michigan International Speedway(R) located outside Detroit; Richmond International Raceway(R) in Virginia; Auto Club Speedway of Southern California(SM) near Los Angeles; Kansas Speedway(R) in Kansas City, Kansas; Phoenix International Raceway(R) in Arizona; Chicagoland Speedway(R) and Route 66 Raceway(SM) near Chicago, Illinois; Homestead-Miami Speedway(SM) in Florida; Martinsville Speedway(R) in Virginia; Darlington Raceway(R) in South Carolina; and Watkins Glen International(R) in New York.

The company also owns and operates MRN(R) Radio, the nation's largest independent sport radio network; the Daytona 500 Experience(SM), the "Ultimate Motorsports Attraction" in Daytona Beach, Florida, and official attraction of NASCAR(R); and Americrown Service Corporation(SM), a subsidiary that provides catering services, food and beverage concessions, and produces and markets motorsports-related merchandise. In addition, ISC has an indirect 50 percent interest in Motorsports Authentics(R), which markets and distributes motorsports-related merchandise licensed by certain competitors in NASCAR racing. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.iscmotorsports.com.

About Speedway Motorsports Incorporated

Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The company owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. The company provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiaries; manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars and parts through its 600 Racing subsidiary; and produces and broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to radio stations nationwide through its Performance Racing Network subsidiary.

The company also equally-owns Motorsports Authentics(R), a joint venture formed with International Speedway Corporation to produce, market and sell licensed motorsports merchandise. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.speedwaymotorsports.com.

SOURCE ServiceMaster Clean

Source: PR Newswire

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