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MAVTV's "American Real" The Ideal Partnership For New IZOD IndyCar Finale
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CORONA, CA- (September 11, 2012) With less than a week to go before the drivers and teams of the IZOD IndyCar series take to the track for the last showdown of 2012 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, television network MAVTV's recent announcement of being the race's title sponsor under its "American Real" mission statement has taken on a special significance. In a season highlighted by new chassis and engine combinations, plenty of on-track drama and intense competition, this Saturday night under the lights it will all culminate with an internationally-flavored shoot-out for the championship featuring Australian Will Power and American Ryan Hunter-Reay. In addition to the title, both racers will be gunning for a $1,000,000 championship payout.
Going into the MAVTV's American Real 500 it is Power, driving the #12 Verizon Dallara-Chevrolet for Team Penske, who has a 17-point lead in the championship standings. After taking a well-timed victory in the penultimate race in Baltimore, Hunter-Reay is banking on momentum as the driver of the #28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Dallara-Chevrolet he pilots for Andretti Autosport. In third spot, but outside of contention as soon as Power and Hunter-Reay take the green flag this Saturday night is Brazilian Helio Castroneves, who also drives for American racing icon Roger Penske. For Power, this will be the third consecutive time he has led the IZOD IndyCar Series championship heading into the final race of the year. However, Hunter-Reay has four wins on oval tracks - a distinctly American configuration - while Power has only one. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that neither competitor has ever turned a wheel in competition at Auto Club Speedway. Another red, white and blue fact? The MAVTV American Real 500 is the only 500-mile race on the current IZOD IndyCar schedule outside of May's legendary Indianapolis 500.
In addition to Hunter-Reay, other American drivers in the international field of drivers at the MAVTV American Real 500 include Marco Andretti,Graham Rahal, JR Hildebrand, Charlie Kimball, Ed Carpenter and Josef Newgarden. An American driver has not won a unified Indy car championship since Al Unser did that for Team Penske in 1994. "Sometimes timing can indeed be everything, but it's also better to be lucky than good," explained MAVTV President Bob Patison about this weekend's almost scripted alignment between American Real and the drama of having an American driver solidly in the title hunt. "We are proud of the newly created MAVTV American Real 500 event for the IZOD Indycar Series and also our partnership with the Automobile Club Speedway. Saturday night looks like it will be an old-fashion gun fight right in our own backyard." The new sponsorship of the 500-mile IndyCar finale is a three-year program between the Fontana, California-based oval speedway and the Lucas Oil-owned MAVTV, which is headquartered in nearby Corona, California. This weekend's MAVTV American Real 500 takes place on Saturday, September 15 beginning at 5:30pm (PST). The race will be broadcast nationally via the NBC Sports Network and also available in audio form on Sirius XM Channel 212. For more information visit: www.autoclubspeedway.com |
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About MAVTV:
MAVTV was founded in 2002 by four former Showtime Networks executives and was originally geared towards a male dominated audience. In 2011 MAVTV was purchased by Lucas Oil Products, an automotive lubricant manufacturer with a history in television production.
Having grown their company from a single product company into an international powerhouse in the lubricant and motorsports industries, Lucas Oil was eager to employ similar strategies to transform MAVTV into a premier cable network. Lucas envisioned a broader scoped network, geared towards the modern American family with significant enhancements to the network including but not limited to; investments in programming, updated on-air look, and increased production quality, all to add more value to the consumer experience. For more information visit: www.mavtv.com
About Lucas Oil Products, Inc. Lucas Oil Products, Inc., produces a premium line of oils, greases and problem solving additives for the consumer automotive industry and a heavy-duty line of products for the industrial and agricultural markets. Lucas Oil Products, Inc., additionally produces a complete product line for: heavy-duty commercial trucking, motorcycles, ATV/UTV, marine and industrial applications. Founded in 1989 by former trucking company owner Forrest Lucas and his wife Charlotte Lucas. www.LucasOil.com |
