Team Torquespeed.com & John Mickel, International Stock Car & Legends World Champion, Sky Sports Britain Commentator; Sign Girl Friday PR + Marketing for 2010 US Race Season & Tour
Cambridge, England, UK + Mooresville, NC (February 15, 2010) – John Mickel, recent 2010 ASA Freestate 500 winner, 2001 ASCAR & Legends World English racing champion; in concert with his English team – Torquespeed.com – retained Girl Friday PR + Marketing to handle all public relations, marketing strategy & hospitality for their 2010 debut in NASCAR’s elite Series. The team remains the first English team in history to vie for a spot in the elite stock car racing venue of Camping World Trucks.
“Coming off a very successful trip to South Africa – bringing home the 1st place trophy – Team Torquespeed.com knew it was time to continue our stateside progress & presence,” said Mickel, from Cambridge, UK. “I’m excited to race in select companion Camping World Truck Series races in 2010, and with ‘Girl Friday’ at our side; we have no choice but continue this pattern of success. She is tenacious & relentless in her pursuit of awareness for her clients. All I have to do is do what I love – DRIVE.”
Demi Clark, Chief Girl Friday + Owner, as agency of record, will handle all public relations, at-track and off-track media relations, branding, social media strategy, team communications, US race preparation & logistics, and hospitality for the London, England, UK-based Torquespeed.com team.
“It was an absolute blast to get to know some of the Torquespeed.com team in South Africa, while I was there working with Marc Davis Motorsports & Tiff Daniels Racing,” said Clark. “I consider John & the guys like family at this point – how refreshing to see that no matter where in the world you race stock cars, the family attitude of this sport remains the same. I can’t wait to see their brilliance in the US, both from a marketability standpoint with sponsors, but also backing it up with their performance on the race track. To see John take the checker and make stock car history in South Africa – that was surreal.”
Mickel & Team Torquespeed.com plan to run a select number of 2010 races in Camping World Truck Series, team & number to be disclosed at a later date; it is their hope to then run an entire 2011 season for their rookie year. Mickel cut his teeth in Camping World Truck Series (then Craftsman) earlier in the decade with Bobby Hamilton, Sr & Bobby Dotter of Greenlight Racing (GLR).
Team Owner Steve Dudman of Torquespeed.com said, “Demi is a breath of fresh air for our race team. She has dogged determination to get our message out to a new, US-based audience & press. We’re excited to see what her passion will translate for us in NASCAR – as we’ve always said, we’ve got the story. It’s just getting to the people who might want to tell it, that will take us to the next level.”
Clark continued, “I call John ‘our racing unicorn.’ After championing many underdogs in racing from a diversity perspective – to include female & African-American drivers – I firmly believe that ‘now’ is the right time for John. It’s my hope that the NASCAR community will be receptive to the first successful English team, & he’s already had a lot of kudos/support from some of the elite Sprint Cup drivers. Not only will American audiences be riveted by a genuine, determined, well-spoken driver/commentator and team – they will also be happily surprised that the man can drive the wheels off an American stock car! That’s just great for our sport, ‘good TV,’ & gives it a true international appeal, much to the likes of Juan Pablo Montoya, Marcus Ambrose & Nelson Piquet, Jr.”
ABOUT JOHN MICKEL:
John Mickel, as the only British driver competing in the elite NASCAR Series (Camping World Truck Series & Nationwide Series hopeful), brings a new level of prestige, dynamism & marketability to the sport – opening up a wider range of companies, sponsors & international appeal. Mickel was the first SCSA (Stock Car Speed Association) champion & currently holds the title of 4 World Legends Championships (the winningest driver in Legends history). He has competed in the NASCAR Camping World (then Craftsman) Truck Series with Bobby Hamilton Racing; ASA National Series events; Lowe’s Motor Speedway events & English oval tracks – finishing with lead lap, top 10 finishes. Most recently, Mickel took the checkered flag at the American Speed Association’s Inaugural Transcontinental Race – the Freestate 500 in Welkom, South Africa. For more information, visit www.JohnMickel.com.
ABOUT TORQUESPEED.COM:
Team Owners Torquespeed.com, in concert with Champion British Race Car Driver John Mickel, brings the first British led, operated, driven & owned NASCAR team to the United States in 2010. Team owners are a quintessential triumvirate of British businessmen & NASCAR enthusiasts – Steve Dudman, Asa Burrows & driver John Mickel. Through winning team attributes; superior equipment & partnerships; proper management & resources; and a dynamic, fresh-faced, talented driver – British & World Champion John Mickel - Team Torquespeed.com will help bring not just a new audience base & storyline to NASCAR, but a competitive race team. For more information, visit www.Torquespeed.com.
ABOUT GIRL FRIDAY PR + MARKETING:
Long known in male-dominated industries, Girl Friday PR + Marketing is run with the infectious enthusiasm of Demi Knight Clark. Unafraid to be a "skirt on the jobsite," Clark challenged the norms early in her career with the world’s largest homebuilder, D.R. Horton Homes. After leading teams & projects plus launching 60+ communities for the homebuilder, Demi chose to venture out on her own in a "down economy." She started her own woman-focused/based PR, marketing & sponsorship firm, Girl Friday. Her first major clients are in the motorsports arena, with a concentration on female & diversity drivers & the passion of that marketing niche. In her “spare time,” she also became a certified Yoga Instructor (RYT); & a published author, of the Snow the Racehorse Series, supporting RacingforWildlife.org with Ryan Newman. Demi also guest commentates for radio & TV broadcasts throughout stock car series, reporting on the progression of female & diversity drivers in the sport. For more info, visit www.GirlFridayPR.com & www.SnowTheRacehorse.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Demi Knight Clark, Girl Friday PR & Marketing
demi@girlfridaypr.com
803.389.7153
Facebook: Demi Knight Clark
Twitter: SnowNumber19