39 replies to this topic

[JHSingo]

So this rather bizarre story got me thinking...what are the strangest examples of a celebrity linking up with a race team that you can think of?

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/109251
(That story has everything you could possibly want. Pamela Anderson, a Ferrari, Liuzzi, NASCAR, and a guy named Fux )

The only two that I can think of that rival the above is the Atomic Kitten BTCC team from the early noughties...




...And of course, Paris Hilton's Moto 2 team.




Are there any others you can think of?

[ensign14]

There was some talk of a Mr Blobby-sponsored touring car circa 1993.

[PayasYouRace]

I'm pretty sure in the US there's a long list of random celebs getting involved with racing. HVM Racing (Indycar) once had a tie-in/shared ownership with Cedric the Entertainer for example. That was before they became Minardi Team USA for a bit.

I wonder if Anderson's team will use Binford Tools? (A championship point if you get the reference)

Edited by PayasYouRace, 12 August 2013 - 22:54.

[InSearchOfThe]

I think Bill Cosby was part owner in Willy T. Ribbs Cart Team in the '90's.

Michael Jordan owns an AMA team.

[HaydenFan]

I'm pretty sure in the US there's a long list of random celebs getting involved with racing. HVM Racing (Indycar) once had a tie-in/shared ownership with Cedric the Entertainer for example. That was before they became Minardi Team USA for a bit.

I wonder if Anderson's team will use Binford Tools? (A championship point if you get the reference)

Only if it was a Ford roadster.

You had Hall of Fame Racing in NASCAR which was "run" by former Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman (who are both Hall of Fame players hence the team name).

Benetton (Italian fashion powerhouse during the time) entered F1 as a team. While completely a good idea from the marketing standpoint, it was pretty bold and more than worked out. Andrea Moda (Italian shoe maker) on the other hand did not.

[teejay]

Letterman has long been involved in motorsports in the U.S

Pretty sure I remember a famous quarterback being in the Chip Ganassi pits quite often during the Vasser/Zanardi era too

[HaydenFan]

Letterman has long been involved in motorsports in the U.S

Pretty sure I remember a famous quarterback being in the Chip Ganassi pits quite often during the Vasser/Zanardi era too

David Letterman never seemed that strange. Well, seeing as he wasn't the crazy car guy like Leno, I guess it is odd come to think of it.

Jim Harbaugh (49ers Head Coach and long time NFL quarterback) was a backer of Panther Racing when it first started.

Edited by HaydenFan, 13 August 2013 - 01:54.

[KWSN - DSM]

I could have sworn Pamela crossed over and joined the dark side, becoming a US citizen several years ago.

[Disgrace]

Like Paris Hilton, Antonio Banderas was also involved in a Moto2 team. As proven here.

Edited by Disgrace, 13 August 2013 - 11:24.

[George Costanza]

Steve Saleen and Tim Allen in 1995 at Le Mans?

[barnardferrari]

Carmelo Anthony (basketball player), Gene Simmons (of KISS), and IndyCar (Hemelgarn Racing) in 2006--that was an unexpected combination.

http://www.nba.com/n...eam_031506.html

[Brother Fox]

Pamela Anderson, Paris Hilton, Gene Simmons


The common thread isnt racing, its publicity whores

[V3TT3L]

Clarence Seedorf was a partner in a Moto3 team.

Football start Walter Payton was a partner of Indycar Dayle Coyne Racing.
http://en.wikipedia....i/Walter_Payton

[Zippel]

David Letterman never seemed that strange. Well, seeing as he wasn't the crazy car guy like Leno, I guess it is odd come to think of it.

Not odd when you consider he was born and raised in Indianapolis.

[Rob]

Noel Edmonds was involved with Panoz when they first went to Le Mans.

[karlth]

Bob Guccione's Penthouse magazine sponsored an Formula 1 car in the 70s

[danmills]

Jordan and Jordan

Michael Jordan and Williams

[grandmastashi]

Not strictly a tie up, but some NASCAR drivers appeared on WWE Raw a couple of years ago as 'guest hosts' and talked smack with some of the wrestlers. I seem to remember Carl Edwards being on of them...

[JHSingo]

Come to think of it, another strange one I missed was the Dempsey-Del Piero racing team.

I know Patrick Dempsey is a big racing fan, and says he actually prefers racing to filming Grey's Anatomy (can't say I blame him!) but I'm not entirely sure what Del Piero brings to the team.

[purplehaireddolphin]

Abba used to sponsor ATS in the late 70's I think it was. I believe it was their drummer who was the driver.

While I was looking for a picture of it I found this site apparently Aerosmith and Taylor Swift also had deals with teams

Edited by purplehaireddolphin, 13 August 2013 - 12:25.

[Amphicar]

In 1974 at the behest of petrolhead drummer John "Bonzo" Bonham, Led Zeppelin sponsored British driver Kaye Griffiths’ McLaren M8E/D. The car appeared in Led Zeppelin livery for the May 1974 Martini International Trophy Supersports event at Silverstone, a round of the Interserie Championship. The livery was similar to that used on "The Starship", the Boeing 720B that the band chartered for their 1973 & 1975 US tours.

[eronrules]

did a bit of search on abba-ats, and found this page of WTF1.co.uk ... visit it for some hilarious stuff, only posting the celebrity ones here

http://wtf1.co.uk/to...sport-sponsors/



taylor swift + nascar



abba+F1



aerosmith + indy 500

[ensign14]

You can find more motor racing musicians on this thread and some unusual sponsors on this one.

[femi]

Surely Pamela A will have an idea or two about improving the geometry of the cars' headlights. She looks heavily talented...

[ApexMouse]

Antonio Banderas is a part owner of a moto 2 team, I think.

Also, I can hear JP exploding over the Taylor Swift NASCAR from here.

Edited by ApexMouse, 13 August 2013 - 13:28.

[eronrules]

You can find more motor racing musicians on this thread and some unusual sponsors on this one.

here's one from this year



although i think this was only for promotion as during race day, IIRC they only had their name written on the cockpit and RW, not the helmet pic on the side pods.



and no, i dont' hate RG. btw, congratulation to him and his Wife having a baby boy 'Sacha (grosjean)'

Edited by eronrules, 13 August 2013 - 13:34.

[milestone 11]

Keith Flint and Team Traction Control

[ensign14]

Not strictly a tie up, but some NASCAR drivers appeared on WWE Raw a couple of years ago as 'guest hosts' and talked smack with some of the wrestlers. I seem to remember Carl Edwards being on of them...

Do I remember someone posting a video of Montoya twatting someone with a chair at one of these shows?

[PayasYouRace]

Surely Pamela A will have an idea or two about improving the geometry of the cars' headlights. She looks heavily talented...

But I'd worry about the weight distribution. Might be a bit top heavy...

[JHSingo]

Reminds me of when Red Bull used to do similar things, promoting Star Wars and Superman films. Whether that falls into the celebrity category, or the strange sponsorship one, you decide.

[TheUltimateWorrier]

Not strictly a tie up, but some NASCAR drivers appeared on WWE Raw a couple of years ago as 'guest hosts' and talked smack with some of the wrestlers. I seem to remember Carl Edwards being on of them...

I think the car was there for the sole purpose to be destroyed.

Do I remember someone posting a video of Montoya twatting someone with a chair at one of these shows?

To call it twatting someone is a bit generous . Tapping the giant fella's head with a chair is a better description! He's lucky he didn't bump into any of the cameramen again to break his head.

[Amphicar]

Looking at this thread from the other end of the telescope....

[RealRacing]

Reminds me of when Red Bull used to do similar things, promoting Star Wars and Superman films. Whether that falls into the celebrity category, or the strange sponsorship one, you decide.

Haha, poor guys, they look soo stupid. I guess Kimi´s lawyer has to be careful when looking at the publicity side of a potential RBR contract...

[jonpollak]

Also, I can hear JP exploding over the Taylor Swift NASCAR from here.

Really wanna erase that episode from my mind there.

Jp

[PayasYouRace]

Isn't it odd that now that Red Bull are championship winners they no longer do those movie tie-ins?

[HaydenFan]

Isn't it odd that now that Red Bull are championship winners they no longer do those movie tie-ins?

They did get pretty professional pretty quickly didn't they? Decided to buckle down and take F1 serious and we see what that means.

[Richard T]

I remember this, it was AWESOME!

[William Hunt]

abba+F1

That's because the Swedish driver of that car, Slim Borgudd, was also a drummer for... ABBA!

[Rob]

Keith Flint and Team Traction Control

That's not so strange, because Flinty is a biker himself and has done a bit of racing.

[ensign14]

That's not so strange, because Flinty is a biker himself and has done a bit of racing.

Plus he's the perfect chap to initiate marshals' blaze-extinguishing training.