The cost of being a major associate runs from
$1 million to $2 million and real estate on the car includes the cockpit sides, position on the front shock cover, and two small spots at the back near the tires.
In addition to major associates that are series sponsors, many team sponsors fall into this third-level category in terms of exposure--companies that get into IndyCar via deals with a specific racing team (some of the best known are Ganassi, Andretti, and Penske). The cost of being a team sponsor can vary greatly and can fall anywhere between
$4 million and $12 million. Eric Wright, VP of Research at Joyce Julius and Associates, says that team sponsors gather roughly 60% of the entire season's TV exposure from the 500. "The audiences are larger, the time is much more valuable," he says. And that 60% of overall TV exposure comes from a race that represents only 10% of the season's total duration.
One example of a team-specific sponsor is GoDaddy, the domain name retailer that covers driver Danica Patrick in its logos and touts her status as the "original GoDaddy girl." Patrick's team is Andretti Autosport, but her car is the GoDaddy.com car. GoDaddy, as an Andretti team sponsor, does have logo placement on some of the other drivers' cars and suits, but the vast majority is on Patrick's car and suit. Patrick, meanwhile, is said to be the Indy driver with the most sponsorship money in the sport overall.
NEXT: Associate
Find Your Next Car 
