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Stihl Power Tools 300 Saturday Notebook Dave Rodman - NASCAR Online HAMPTON, Ga. (March 7, 1998) LYCOS announced its first "integrated marketing effort outside the world wide web," Saturday morning at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a one-year ...

Edited: May 8, 2001, 12:19 PM

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Stihl Power Tools 300 Saturday Notebook Dave Rodman - NASCAR Online

HAMPTON, Ga. (March 7, 1998) LYCOS announced its first "integrated marketing effort outside the world wide web," Saturday morning at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a one-year sponsorship of John and Robbie Reiser's No. 17 Reiser Enterprises Chevrolet NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division team with driver Matt Kenseth. "We are excited to be involved in the NASCAR racing community," said Jim Hoenscheid, director of promotions for LYCOS, a less than three-year-old company based in Framingham, Mass.

"We began as an Internet search engine, but we have expanded to included chats and e-mail and other personalized and specialized areas. We will continue to grow and expand with this racing involvement."

Multi-faceted businessman Jack Roush also attended the conference and said that his involvement in the deal simply stated the diversity of Roush Industries.

"Anything we can do to make LYCOS and Matt be successful, we will do," said Roush, who recently signed Kenseth to a 'driver development contract.' "We could help with marketing and with engines, although at this point, as a Chevrolet team, they have a very good engine program and that will be unaffected by our involvement."

"If I could see the future I'd probably make a lot of money," said Kenseth, who won his first career NASCAR Busch Series victory two races ago at North Carolina Speedway. "It's a little overwhelming, at times, to be working with Mark Martin and Jack Roush and Reiser Enterprises."

Roush said the deal, which was facilitated by his Roush Marketing wing, had a personal impact for him.

"My son, Jack Jr., graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder last year with a business degree," Roush said. "This deal with LYCOS has got him more excited about my racing than anything I've done in the last 15 years, with his propensity toward computers."

"Our deal with Reiser Enterprises has been restricted to helping them to find sponsorship and getting their team organized," Roush said, noting he had no financial stake in the team. "Mark Martin felt Matt could follow in his footsteps and that he had a future at Roush Racing."

"We want to give something back to the fans with this program," said Hoenscheid. "We want to be more than just a name on a car, and we hope to create some interactive elements, such as weekly chats and the 'cross talk' between Matt and Robbie during races, to provide that. We're excited to be involved with the fastest growing sport in America and in a growing media."

Lycos bills itself as "Your Personal Internet Guide,"

Derrick Gilchrist, a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series, will attempt to make the first of five NASCAR Busch Series starts this season in the March 15 BellSouth Mobility/Opryland 320 at Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway USA. The 20-year-old resident of Raleigh, N.C., will pilot Spencer Motor Ventures' No. 12 Chevrolet that was driven to victory last weekend in the Sam's Town Las Vegas 300 by team owner Jimmy Spencer.

"I'm really looking forward to this -- it's like a dream come true," said Gilchrist, who has made three previous start in NSJAPS races at Nashville, with a best finish of sixth. "Not many people get to make their first Busch Series start in a car capable of running up front, and I'm really looking forward to working with Jimmy. There is so much I can learn from him."

Gilchrist plans to enter races at Richmond, Va.; Clermont, Ind.; Rockingham, N.C.; and Homestead, Fla., in Spencer's car. The team is actively seeking sponsorship for the five races as well as a possible two-car effort in 1999, which could include a Raybestos Rookie of the Year effort for Gilchrist.

Driver Jason Keller, whose team came to AMS without a sponsor, became the beneficiary of the rainout of Bud Qualifying for the Stihl 300 when the Stihl Outdoor Power Tools sponsorship that was on Rich Bickle's debuting No.. 91 Ford Taurus was transferred to Keller's No. 57 Chevrolet. Keller will start 12th on Monday.

Brothers Rick -- most recently employed by Doug Taylor -- and Jeff Fuller -- who drove Tad Geschickter's NBS car in 1997 -- were patrolling the garage area at Atlanta Motor Speedway in search of work.

Source: NASCAR Online

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