NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: AARP To Sponsor Gordon
Jeff Gordon is a four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted October 27, 2010   Concord, NC
Jeff Gordon will be sponsored in 2011 by the AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Hendrick Motorsports took a bold and innovative step Wednesday, announcing that the AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger will be the primary sponsor of Jeff Gordon's No. 24 for 22 races in each of the next three seasons.

Gordon’s sponsors for the remaining 14 races were not announced, but team owner Rick Hendrick said announcements would be forthcoming and that he had a back-up sponsor in reserve had the AARP deal not materialized.

Although financial terms of the deal were not released, Hendrick said the dollars were comparable to what a more traditional sponsor would pay. Drive to End Hunger will have a comprehensive marketing program that includes enlisting other companies into the program and reselling some of the sponsorships on Gordon’s car, as long as the companies don’t conflict with existing Hendrick sponsors.

The team did not unveil the design of Gordon’s new car which is still being tweaked, but Gordon said the team was close to completing it.

Team owner Hendrick said he thought the new deal would be good for the organization, the team and for NASCAR in general. “I think this is an opportunity for us and for our sport and for NASCAR,” Hendrick said Wednesday. “I think it says a lot for NASCAR, period. ... This is an opportunity for us to showcase our sport.”

“I think you’re going to see our fans react in a big way,” said Gordon, who has 82 career race victories and four NASCAR Sprint Cup championships. “There’s no doubt that I’m going to get behind this in a big, big way.”

With Gordon as its spokesperson, Drive to End Hunger will help the millions of older Americans who are facing hunger across the United States. The effort will engage the NASCAR fan base, corporations and charitable organizations via a text-to-donate program; activation at race tracks across the country; further research on the causes and consequences of hunger in older Americans; and an innovative national grant program that will provide resources to address the problem at a local level.

Donations from Drive to End Hunger will benefit the hunger programs of AARP Foundation.

“Hunger is a hidden problem that millions of older Americans are battling silently. In fact, between 2006 and 2008, the percentage of seniors struggling with hunger more than doubled," said Jo Ann Jenkins, AARP Foundation president. “NASCAR fans are among the most charitable, community-minded sports fans in the country, and they have a track record of commitment. With the help of Jeff and the Hendrick team, we will make the most of this unprecedented opportunity to end the struggle that so many older Americans have with hunger.”
Jeff Gordon was shut out of victory lane last season. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

One of the things that differentiates this deal from most charitable ones in motorsports is its scope: Most previous deals have been for some limited number of races, while this one is for three years.

Jenkins said she expected the deal to yield a positive return on investment in actual dollars, as well as in terms of recognition.

“It’s not just an initiative, it’s what we believe in,” said Jenkins. “This isn’t really about just the money ... it’s also about raising the awareness. We want to raise awareness.”

Drive to End Hunger features volunteer-led food drives, individual and corporate fundraising campaigns, and online hunger resources at www.aarp.org/hunger.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100 and e-mail him at Jensen is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of Speed,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association and an NMPA Writer of the Year.

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