Perry campaign sponsors NASCAR driver
AUSTIN, TX
Gov. Rick Perry's re-election is sponsoring Bobby Labonte's No.
71 Chevrolet for the April 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the Texas
Motor Speedway. The campaign said it paid $225,000 for the
sponsorship.
Perry and Labonte were on hand Tuesday as the car was unveiled
at a car dealership in suburban Dallas. It had the words "Governor
Perry" painted on the hood, the campaign's Web address emblazoned
on each side of the car and the message "Perry Governor 2010" on
the back.
Perry, a Republican, said Labonte's talent with racing reminds
him of the Texas economy. "You build it right and you know what
it's capable of," he said. Then, he said, "you put the hammer
down."
"I know that he's going to take the checkered flag at the
speedway and we're going to take the green flag for the economy,"
Perry said.
Labonte, who is 33rd on the NASCAR money leaders list, is
originally from Corpus Christi and now lives in North Carolina.
"We're really proud to be running this car at the Texas race,"
said Labonte.
After Labonte said he was looking forward a good run "going
left" at the race, Perry quipped that a racetrack is "the one
place going left is good."
Perry is running against Democrat Bill White in November's
election. White spokeswoman Katy Bacon said after hearing about the
sponsorship, "Given Perry's record on education, we're assuming
this car is going to go mostly in reverse or drop out of the
race."
Nancy Shaefers, 58, from the North Texas town of Aubrey, said
she attended the news conference because she's a fan of Labonte and
Perry. She said she likes that Perry is helping support NASCAR with
the sponsorship and was impressed with the look of Labonte's car
for the Texas race.
"It's gorgeous. I love the blue and the red," she said.
She said she plans to attend the race, which draws more than
400,000 fans to the Fort Worth track.
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said that there's long-standing
tradition between NASCAR and politicians, including everything from
candidates attending races to campaign slogans popping up on cars.
He said that NASCAR doesn't keep data on how many politicians
have sponsored teams, but noted that in the last decade, Virginia
Democrat Mark Warner sponsored a NASCAR truck while running for
governor, as did Democratic presidential hopeful Bob Graham. And as
far back as 1960, driver Roy Tyner had a John F. Kennedy for
president campaign sticker, though Poston said he didn't know if
that was a sponsorship.
"It seems every election cycle you see candidates from both
parties looking to make that connection with NASCAR fans," he
said.
Labonte's car will tour Texas in the days leading up to the
race.