Busy Days at Sunday Group Management
SiriusXM Set to Carry Indianapolis 500 Race Coverage
May 23, 2019
AERO Sustainable Paint Technology Ready for Le Mans after Podium Result in Texas
June 13, 2019
Trans-Am Retains Sunday Group Management
Providing media relations, social media activation, and on-site management for the full series, Sunday Group Management is pleased to welcome The Trans Am Series to its client roster starting with the 2019 season. The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli has an incredible legacy that stretches back to 1966, and a bright future with a growing and active paddock.
With four classes (TA, TA2, SGT and GT), Trans Am presented by Pirelli has a remarkable schedule of events that sees the series race at tracks the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Daytona International Speedway, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of the SVRA event.
Amy Greenway, the newest Sunday Group team member, made her debut at the second round of the Trans-Am Series at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Hitting the ground running, Greenway generated 10 event-oriented stories. Those stories were quickly distributed and picked up, putting the Trans-Am name on some of the top racing media sites in the world.
Trans Am presented by Pirelli will take to the track again Memorial Day weekend on the twists and turns of Lime Rock Park with races on Saturday, May 25th and Monday, May 27th.
2019 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli schedule
Sebring International Raceway – March 1-3
Road Atlanta – March 29-31
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca – May 3-5
Lime Rock Park – May 24-27
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix – May 31-June 2
Indianapolis Motor Speedway – August 1-4
FirstEnergy Mid-Ohio 100 – August 8-10
Ryan Companies Road America Classic – August 22-24
Watkins Glen International – September 5-7
VIRginia International Raceway – September 20-22
Circuit of the Americas – October 4-6
Daytona International Speedway – November 14-16
What’s Next For Christian Fittipaldi after his Last One?
Flashback to Road America in August of last year, when Christian Fittipaldi announced his retirement from racing at a grand farewell press conference. Fittipaldi was so focused on the announcement being a surprise that he didn’t even tell the moderator Justin Bell what it was until just minutes before the press conference started. Tasked with organizing a press conference and announcing a surprise retirement made for a fun challenge for Sunday Group Management.
The tables were turned during the 2019 Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona where Fittipaldi was the one who was surprised when the team organized a retirement send-off on Thursday of the event weekend. The 2004, 2014, and 2018 Rolex 24 winner was hoping to add to that tally of victories, but the 2019 edition of the twice around the clock event played a cruel hand after a problem with the rear taillights forced the team behind the wall early in the race. A valiant fight back through the rain earned a top-ten spot, but it wasn’t how Fittipaldi wanted to close out his career.
While Fittipaldi has marked the end of his driving career, he will not be stepping away from the sport he loves completely. He remains track-side with Action Express Racing in the position of Sporting Director. He has commissioned Sunday Group to provide support for an upcoming project. Stay tuned….
Greenway Joins Sunday Group Management
The 2019 race season brings growth to Sunday Group Management as the company welcomed Amy Greenway as Series Manager. With years on the race series side working with SCCA Pro Racing, Greenway was the perfect match to take point for two of Sunday Group’s race series clients, Trans Am presented by Pirelli and Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires. Geared with a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising from the Journalism Department from Ball State University, she began her career in radio, writing and voicing radio commercials, creating promotions and designing client-focused campaigns.
In a true trial by fire, Greenway had the opportunity to fill in last minute for a local 30-minute racing talk show as the host which ended up landing her first job in motorsport at a local race track. Her outsider’s approach to motorsports brand management gained her recognition from the nation’s largest sanctioning body, the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Greenway lead the media effort as helped launch the Honda-powered North American F4 and F3 programs.
When not thinking, working, and living racing, Greenway enjoys taking in a different array of sporting events such as the Indiana Pacers, which she is a founding member of the Pacers Fan Section Area 55. She also enjoys playing video games, Geocaching, and spending time with her family including her dog Pawly G. While Media Relations may be her full-time job, Greenway stretches her wings diving into the realm of stand-up comedy even coming in second at a comedy competition at Morty’s Comedy Joint.
Invisible Glass Unveiling with Aston Martin
New race seasons bring new liveries, and for Sunday Group Management, a new opportunity. Stoner Car Care retained Sunday Group to manage a media event to launch the new livery for the all-new No. 97 Invisible Glass/Stoner Car Care Aston Martin Vantage GT4 at Sebring International Raceway.
With a coordinated effort between Invisible Glass, IMSA, Sebring media staff, Aston Martin Racing (which was fortuitously on site for the Sebring Super Weekend), Automatic Racing and Aston Martin, the spotlight shined on the glittering blue and yellow Invisible Glass/Stoner Car Care body on the only Aston Martin Vantage GT4 currently in North American racing.
Stoner Car Care produces high-performance automotive care products such as washes, waxes, polishes, and dressings. Invisible Glass, a member of the Stoner Car Care product family is the top-selling automotive glass cleaner in the United States. The combination of Invisible Glass/Stoner Car Care and Automatic Racing create a partnership that leads the field on and off the track.
Debuting at Daytona in January of this year, Automatic Racing drivers Ramin Abdolvahabi, Rob Ecklin Jr., and Brandon Kidd took the Aston Martin rocket up to a 13th place finish after starting 31st on the grid.
Meyer Shank Racing’s Huge Month of May
There is nothing like the month of May in Indianapolis. Kicking off a month of high-speed racing at the racing capital of the world, the NTT INDYCAR Grand Prix saw Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) driver Jack Harvey impress in his first-ever appearance in the opening race of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Harvey had a break-out qualifying session, advancing to the first Fast Six of his career on his way to locking in third on the grid.
After 85 laps of ever-changing weather and track conditions, Harvey claimed his first- IndyCar podium and the first for MSR in just its second partial schedule season of competition.
Sunday Group Management worked to convert the on-track result into a strong media presence for the team, working to quickly maximize the opportunity for media placements for MSR.
Shank, who first retained Sunday Group in 2004 after he needed to raise his team profile after he mortgaged his home to secure financing for a Prototype, has seen accelerated growth including appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500, and of course in the IMSA winner circle with the Acura NSX GT3.
An increase in media appearances boosted MSR and Harvey up the trending charts to be featured in over 80 different forms of articles, online, and video media in the short span of 72 hours—a perfect way to build up momentum for the Indianapolis 500.
Next up is the world-famous oval – home of the Indianapolis 500. With long practice sessions, managing a precise schedule has become a pinnacle to navigating the action-packed month. As race day approaches, so does media day which will see Harvey and Meyer Shank Racing Account Manager Maddie Komar travel to the Big Apple for a day full of back-to-back interviews across print, radio, and television media.
The Greatest Spectacle in Racing will take place on Sunday, May 26th at noon on NBC.
SGM 7-Week Stretch
The Sunday Group Management team has racked up air and driving miles the last two months. A five-state, seven city tour of the United States was in order to cover clients in five different racing series. The 2019 season kicked off in Daytona, Florida for the annual IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship test, the Roar before the Rolex 24. Just two short weeks later, the SGM team returned to Daytona Beach for the Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona. A grueling 24 hours of racing took place on track but also saw PR representatives fighting sleep to ensure continual coverage of all the on and off track happenings.
March 1st was the first day of a seven-week even streak making stops in Florida, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and California.
Week 1: Sebring International Raceway
Trans-Am Presented by Pirelli
The newest series to come under the SGM wing – two races and 61 drivers set the stage for the first visit to the Florida Highlands for the team.
Week 2: St. Petersburg, Florida
NTT IndyCar Series
Continuing in the Sunshine State, the open-wheel series became the weekend focus as client Meyer Shank Racing scored its first NTT IndyCar Series top-ten finish after an extension to a 10-race program for the 2019 season.
Week 3: Sebring International Raceway
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Michelin Pilot Challenge
# of SGM Clients: 4
A jam-packed weekend of covering 4 clients across the two series saw the team put in long hours to cover client accomplishments, such as TeamTGM’s first Michelin Pilot Challenge pole and Action Express Racing’s No. 31 Whelen Engineering entry earning a victory.
Week 4: Circuit of the Americas
NTT IndyCar Series
Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires
A two-race schedule for the first stop of the season for the grid of Mazda MX-5 Miatas and the second for field of IndyCars saw double-duty coverage as dramatic passing and finishes were on the agenda for both levels of racing. Over 240 passes and a set of super-slim margins of victory were showcases of traditional fantastic racing from Global MX-5 Cup.
Week 5: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Trans-Am Presented by Pirelli
The newest member of the Sunday Group team, Amy Greenway, jumped right into the action with her first outing in her position as Series Manager. A field of 71 entries provided plenty of content for a double-digit number of stories to be born from.
Week 6: Barber Motorsports Park
NTT IndyCar Series
Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires
Back on double-duty, it was another productive weekend for Sunday Group as IndyCar visited the Alabama circuit and we got to visit our favorite sushi restaurant on the schedule.
Week 7: The Streets of Long Beach
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Challenge
NTT IndyCar Series
A newly branded Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach brought more eyes trained to client, Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM as it too held the Acura branding for the event. For the second year running, it was Sunday Group IMSA WeatherTech client Mustang Sampling stealing the show with an impressive run to victory with Joao Barbosa and Filipe Albuquerue.
The 2019 season is in full swing and Sunday Group Management keeps working to deliver value for our clients.
The month of May provides a big home-base race event, with the team off to Detroit for a stop on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Trans Am presented by Pirelli schedules.
