SPORTS MARKETING NEWS, PRODUCTS AND EVENTS FROM LINCOLN ELECTRIC September 2012 MATHESON ENJOYS THE “SUITE” LIFE AT THE BRICKYARD 400 By: Brian Soder Twenty four winners plus a guest representing seven different Matheson regions joined Lincoln Electric at this year’s Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. The Matheson sales contest (based on the Lincoln Rewards Program) ran from April through the end of June. Once the winners were selected and travel accommodations set, all the group had to do was enjoy the weekend. After being greeted by Lincoln personnel at the airport and taken to the hotel Saturday afternoon, the group convened for dinner at the Indianapolis Colt’s Grille where special guest and NASCAR driver, Greg Biffle, talked about what to expect for the next day’s race and fielded questions. Sunday morning was filled with excitement leading up the race beginning with the police escort into the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. From there, everyone walked throughout the pit and garage area on a guided garage tour checking out the cars up close and spotting several driver personalities and celebrities. Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski and “Coach” Joe Gibbs took time out of their busy schedules to visit Lincoln Electric’s suite to congratulate the winners on making the trip and welcoming them to the track. The weather cooperated with temperatures in the high 80’s and sunny skies throughout the day. Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag to win the 19th running of the race in commanding style. PAGE 1 1 September 2012 JOE GIBBS RACING SIGNS MATT KENSETH By: Joe Gibbs Racing HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Joe Gibbs Racing announced Tuesday that 2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner, Matt Kenseth, has signed with the team to drive the No. 20 Toyota Camry with sponsorship from Dollar General and The Home Depot starting in 2013. “We are thrilled to be able to officially announce Matt will join Joe Gibbs Racing starting at the conclusion of this season,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “Everyone knows what he has accomplished in our sport as a champion and a consistent winner. He is well respected in the garage and his experience and knowledge will be extremely beneficial to our entire organization, especially Denny and Kyle.” Kenseth is currently third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings with a win, nine top-five and 14 top-ten finishes thus far this season. Over the course of his career he has won a total of 22 Cup races while earning 122 top-five and 223 top-ten finishes. “I’m excited to announce what the next chapter in my career will be,” said Kenseth. “I remain totally committed to this season and working with my current team toward a championship and having this settled will only help my focus. JGR is an impressive organization with tremendous leadership and strong support from sponsors like Dollar General and The Home Depot. I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to move from one great situation into another starting in 2013.” A Wisconsin native, Kenseth started his racing career at the age of 16 and was an instant success winning his first feature race in just his third outing. By the age of 19 he was winning races across the state of Wisconsin and in 1994 he would become the youngest driver to win the Slinger Nationals, one of the most prestigious short track races in the country. From there he would successfully move through the ranks of the NASCAR All-Pro Series (1995), USAR Pro Cup Series (1996) and American Speed Association (1997). He would make his debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 1997 and run his first full season in the Series in 1998. He has 248 career Nationwide Series starts with 26 wins, 118 top-five, and 168 top-ten finishes. 1998 would also mark his Cup Series debut, but Kenseth would not run his first full season until 2000 when he would also win his first race on the premier level of the sport and go on to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Kenseth would win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship in 2003 with an impressive season that included one win, 11 top-five and a career-high 25 top-ten finishes. He took the points lead following the fourth week of the season and held it over the next 33 weeks en route to the Championship. He won The Daytona 500 in 2009 and repeated the feat again this past February. Lincoln Electric is the Matt and his wife Katie live in the Charlotte area with their two exclusive welder of daughters. His son Ross currently attends Clemson University. Joe Gibbs Racing LUCAS, CAPPS EARN VICTORIES IN BRAINERD By: NHRA.com Ron Capps raced to the Funny Car victory Sunday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals and moved into the Full Throttle Series points lead for the first time this season with one race remaining before the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners at the penultimate regular season event in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Capps powered away from 15-time world champ John Force in the Funny Car final round to take his third win of the season, third at Brainerd Int'l Raceway, and 36th of his career. Capps cruised to a final-round performance of 4.134 seconds at 304.05 mph in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger while Force’s Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang lost traction and finished in 6.633 at 116.35. In Top Fuel, Lucas edged Antron Brown at the finish line for his third victory of the season and his third win at this event, which is sponsored by his family’s oil company. Lucas posted a 3.818 at 316.90 in his GEICO/Lucas Oil dragster to hold off Brown’s charging Matco Tools dragster, which trailed with a 3.831 at 313.80. A special thanks goes out to the Minneapolis sales office (Jim Nielander, Alex Matthew, Caroline Kinkel, and Kurt Goltz) as they once again did a great job in hosting over 100 customers throughout the weekend. “These guys do a fantastic job entertaining customers coming in from as far as 300 miles away. The planning John Force takes time between qualifying sessions to pose for a picture and execution prior to the event makes for one fun weekend.” - Tommy Dickinson, with a group of Lincoln customers Sports Marketing Specialist - NHRA & INDYCAR PAGE 2 September 2012 L.J. JENKINS TAKES THE LEAD BY: PBR.com After taking the lead in the world standings, L.J. Jenkins said it's not about where anyone is ranked in September, it's about being No. 1 after the sixth round of competition at the World Finals on October 28. More important, the 25-year-old, who until now has never been the top-ranked rider in the world, stated that he needs to start making the whistle in the short round and Built Ford Tough Series Championship Round if he's going to be the World Champion. Jenkins finished third at the WinStar World Casino Invitational this past weekend, in Thackerville, Okla., but he managed only 2 for 4 and bucked off Porcupine Puncher in the short round on Friday, and then came down early off of Quiet Riot in the Championship Round on Saturday. Jenkins has covered seven bulls in the 18 combined short and championship rounds he's qualified to compete in. He was seven to 14 prior to the summer break and has gone 0 for 4 the past two weeks, including bucking off Carrillo Cartel and Bushwacker in San Antonio. The right-hander has been successful throughout his career. In fact, he has a career average of 38.7 percent against the Top 500 bulls of all time, and last year he covered a career-best 57.7 percent of the Top 500 bulls he faced. This season he's covered only 29.4 percent of the Top 500 bulls he's faced compared to 36 percent in the past 12 months. "If he's not riding those type of bulls then this is just a little bleep on the radar," said Murray, who said the No. 1 ranking won't hold up unless Jenkins corrects the problem. Lincoln Electric is an Official Sponsor of Jenkins moved ahead of Valdiron de Oliveira by 45.75 points and has a modest advantage of 461.5 points over the reigning World Champion Silvano Alves. The Professional Bull Riders LINCOLN ELECTRIC NIGHT RYAN HUNTER-REAY WINS AGAIN AT AT SHARON SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX OF BALTIMORE BY: Brian Soder BY: indystar.com Hartford, OH - It was Lincoln Electric Night at Sharon BALTIMORE -- In a risky move Sunday, September 2nd, Michael Speedway August 25th as FASTRAK Late Model Andretti kept driver Ryan Hunter-Reay on tires made for dry racing drivers competed in the feature event for the Power even though it was raining on Baltimore’s downtown street circuit. MIG 140C “We’re going for it,” Andretti said on the team’s radio. prize. Matt Hunter-Reay, still chasing Will Power for IndyCar’s season title, Latta won the couldn’t argue with the gamble. event, ahead “I can’t describe how nerve-wracking that is when it rains and you’re of Dennis on slick (tires) and you know the championship is on the line,” he Lunger Jr. said of the Grand Prix of Baltimore, the year’s penultimate race.