How NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski became Elk Grove Village's pitchman
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Brad Keselowski celebrates after winning the Geico 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on April 25, 2021. Associated Press 2021
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The No. 6 car -- complete with Elk Grove Village decals and branding -- will be driven by Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Chicago street race Sunday. Courtesy of Elk Grove Village
On Sunday, veteran NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski will navigate his No. 6 Ford Mustang through 12 turns of the 2.2-mile Chicago downtown street course.
During commercial breaks, he'll serve as Elk Grove Village's pitchman.
"Elk Grove Village is located just outside Chicago, and their community is beyond business-friendly. From manufacturing to state-of-the-art data centers, Elk Grove Village has the infrastructure and the people to help your business thrive," Keselowski says in one of the two 30-second spots that will air during the NBC broadcast.
The commercials have been running throughout the Midwest for the past month, under the village's $400,000 sponsorship of the Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing team. The village board recently agreed to up its contribution by $50,000 to take those national, with one commercial right before the start of the 4:30 p.m. race and one during.
Elk Grove will also get its "Makers Wanted" business marketing tagline affixed to a special "on the move" feature during the broadcast.
The tagline, logo and related branding already are plastered on Keselowski's stock car -- among 37 in the race.
Elk Grove has been showing off a similar car -- Keselowski's from last season -- at community events. That included the ESPN 1000-AM radio broadcast Friday afternoon of the "Waddle & Silvy" show from Real Time Sports Bar and Grill.
Village officials say Keselowski is a good fit to market their sprawling industrial park. When not on the racing circuit, Keselowski is at his Statesville, North Carolina-based hybrid manufacturing company, Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing, which specializes in additive metal technologies and computer numerical control machining.
He touts that experience in the ad, which also has a version airing on local radio.
"As a manufacturer and a business owner, I know that driving a race car is a lot like growing a business. You're only as good as your team. Elk Grove Village is a great team," Keselowski said.
The two-year sponsorship of Keselowski's car -- with a third year option at the same rate -- represents the Northwest suburban municipality's latest unconventional sports marketing sponsorship. The town paid $300,000 in both 2018 and 2019 to sponsor the Bahamas Bowl college football game, and $175,000 to back three USA Olympic teams in 2021.
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