GoDaddy.com may have been instrumental in Danica Patrick's announced move to NASCAR full time for 2012, but the web-hosting company will remain involved with the Andretti Autosport team and IndyCar for another two years. GoDaddy.com will remain the primary sponsor of one of the team's cars, with the driver yet to be named, and has signed Mario, Michael and Marco Andretti as spokesmen.
"Three generations of Andrettis – now that's just plain cool," said GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons. "Deciding to stay with IndyCar was a pretty easy decision. The fans are great. Imagine the marketing potential. Mario is an absolute icon. Michael has been Go Daddy's partner as a team owner for five years now and Marco is a young man who is already in the racing record books. This is not your 'everyday' sponsorship, that's for sure."
As part of the deal, you can expect to see Mario, Michael and Marco in GoDaddy.com TV commercials as soon as this winter.
"We admire how Go Daddy runs its business," Mario Andretti said. "In IndyCar, we put the fans first and on the internet...Go Daddy puts the customers first. Go Daddy is absolutely passionate about what they do and I've always believed passion is at the heart of success."
IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said the announcement is significant economic news for IndyCar racing, considering the current economic climate.
"Go Daddy sticking with IndyCar is a tremendous win for our sport on so many levels," said Bernard. "Go Daddy is a dream sponsor. They know how to create excitement and build brand buzz. This is just the kind of sponsor we need in IndyCar."