Laguna Beach, CA—A tremendous group of companies have agreed to sign on to be an important part of Michael Lewis and the Eurointernational Formula BMW Americas Championship team for the 2009 race season.
The sponsors participating with Michael’s Formula BMW Americas Championship team include CTECH Aluminum Trailer Cabinets and Carts, Eibach Springs, SSI Decals, Position One Motorsports, Oakley, Team ASE, Klotz Products, Orlando/Orange County Convention Center, Bell Racing Company, and Earl’s Performance Plumbing.
Leading off the 2009 sponsor campaign is CTECH Aluminum Cabinets and Carts, based in Weston, Wisconsin. “CTECH Aluminum Cabinets and Carts has elected to support the Formula BMW Series and Michael Lewis for two very important reason: Belief in the education of young drivers and the support of a high quality product that will speak to another market,” explained Dean Lee, CTECH Business Manager.
“CTECH is introducing our new Ultra Line Garage Cabinets fit for any garage, shop, and many other applications,” Lee continued. “In doing so, we were exploring opportunities to find an exciting series, in which we can promote this new product line.”
Eibach Springs, Corona, California, is well known throughout racing circles, and their suspension products are used in all forms of auto racing. “This is just a continuation of a long and successful relationship between Eibach and BMW Motorsport teams,” said Oliver Rathlein, Vice President of Marketing for Eibach Springs. “We have supplied suspension springs for many of their teams including Touring Car, their Le Mans winners, and Formula 1. So it is just natural for us to continue this great relationship!”
SSI Decals, in Galena, Illinois, has been offering decals and other graphics products to motorsports for several years. “Our involvement with the series gives us an international venue to promote SSI Decals and the exposure we are looking for,” said Ian Harris, owner of SSI Decals. “As an industry leader in the decal market, it is an exciting opportunity to showcase our abilities right alongside Michael Lewis and BMW.”
Position One Motorsports, in Baldwin Park, California, has played a major role for many drivers who started out in karting and have moved on to other forms of motorsports. “We strongly believe in furthering a young adult’s career in auto racing,” said Luis Martinez, owner of Position One Motorsports. “We feel fortunate to be a part of Michael Lewis’s journey to other forms of motorsports after seeing him in a go kart. We hope he can continue to develop as he moves forward in his career, and for Position One to be a part of it is what we are all about.”
Oakley, in Foothill Ranch, California, is known for its trend-setting eyewear, but has also branched off into safety apparel for the motorsports market. “Oakley’s goal is to find the future stars of motor racing when they are just starting out,” said Todd Hayes, Oakley Sports Marketing. “Oakley has been working with Michael Lewis from the start so Oakley is hoping this is just the start to a long career in racing.”
Team ASE, Leesburg, Virginia, has a rich history in auto racing, which comes as a result of ASE’s commitment to the automotive market. The independent, non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was established in 1972. ASE’s mission is to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service through the testing and certification of repair and service professionals. At present, about 400,000 professionals hold current certifications. They work in every segment of the automotive service industry: car and truck dealerships, independent garages, fleets, service stations, franchises, and more.
“Team ASE has been supporting Michael with scholarships for a number of years in his career so far, and we’re proud to be part of his development as an individual and a driver in the Formula BMW Americas Championship,” said Tim Zilke, ASE President and CEO. “He’s an outstanding young man and we know he’ll do well in the series.”
The Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau is quite familiar with the motorsports industry as the 1,000,000-square-foot Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Florida, is home to the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show. This racing trade show ranks as the 45th largest trade show in the United States by Tradeshow Week magazine. “Orlando has a rich history with the racing industry through our long-standing association with the PRI Trade Show, various racing events, and the popular racing attractions that thrill millions of visitors each year,” said Gary Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The Orlando CVB is thrilled to take our racing involvement to the next level by partnering with the highly regarded Formula BMW series and supporting exciting young driving talent like Michael Lewis.”
For over 50 years, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has focused on meeting the needs of racers, performance enthusiasts, and consumers that care enough to use the best available synthetic products. Klotz synthetic products have been proven in the motorsports industry for automotive, motorcycle, snowmobile, marine, SkiCraft, kart, and RC scale model markets.
“I think Formula BMW Americas is a great series,” said John Klotz, president of Klotz Synthetic Lubricants. “Anything that Steve Lewis is involved in is always a class act. That was one of the big reasons why we wanted to be involved in the series. Steve has been working hard to bring Michael along in his racing career and we’re proud to be associated with that.”
Bell Racing Company, Rantoul, Illinois, is one of the best-known helmet manufacturers for motorsports, always on the cutting-edge of technology and safety innovations. “Bell Racing has been a long-time sponsor of Michael Lewis and his racing,” said Kyle Kietzmann, General Manager of Bell Racing Company. “Michael is a very talented driver and has always represented Bell in a professional manner. We are excited to continue this relationship as he joins Eurointernational and moves into the Formula BMW Americas Series.”
Earl’s Performance Plumbing, Rancho Dominguez, California, brought aviation fluid transfer technology to the automotive performance market over four decades ago and numerous top motorsports teams still rely on Earl’s today. Ear’ls has the most extensive line of plumbing products available, from hose and hose ends, adapters, brake lines, radiator and heater hoses to coolers, gaskets, and much more.
“Earl’s Performance has had a long and successful partnership with Steve Lewis and Nine Racing and it is only natural for us to continue that relationship with the next generation,” said Kevin Cochran, Product Manager, of Earl’s Performance Plumbing. “We have always felt that once one generation has established itself we need to start looking to the new generation of young drivers to help them reach that next level of their careers. We are also very pleased to be involved with a series with BMW’s worldwide brand recognition that showcases this new young talent destined for a larger world stage.”
Michael and the Eurointernational team would like to thank each and every one of these sponsors for their generous support this season.
