NASCAR fans are die-hard fans, even when they have to wait in the rain for over ten hours, only to learn that the race has been postponed. Such was the case when the recipients of Sportec ’s 2002 Pit Pass Sweepstakes arrived at the Texas Motor Speedway for the Samsung-Radio Shack 500, the seventh race of the season in NASCAR ’S Winston Cup Series, on April 7th.

Stagparkway, the distributor who sold and entered these winning dealers into Sportec’s sweepstakes, is one of the many distributors now selling the Sportec line of NASCAR products. According to Mike McKay, Stagparkway ’s vice president of sales &marketing "Sportec’s Race Helmet Mugs and Race Party Lights are now one of our hottest selling products and growing every day" 

Dealers who stock the hot-selling Sportec NASCAR sanctioned mugs and party lights are entered into the contest throughout the year and have an opportunity to attend a Winston Cup race. In addition to the race, the winners also get to visit the cherished garage and pit area where they can meet the drivers, crew and owners of the Winston Cup teams as they prepare for the big race.

Sitting in the rain with the rest of us in Texas were Lisa LaBorde and Summer LaBorde representing Sherrard RV &KOA in Colbert, Oklahoma and John Hearn and Martin Morales representing Ancira RV with stores in Boerne, Denton, Ft.Worth, McAllen and Temple, Texas. 

Lisa LaBorde is the daughter of Pat Guy, the parts manager at Sherrard RV, and a long-time NASCAR race fan. Lisa’s daughter Summer, at ’s granddaughter was attending her first ever Winston Cup race, and braved the torrential downpours right up until the officials canceled the race and rescheduled it for Monday morning. 

Lisa noted, "My mother is crazy about the Sportec products. As soon as she puts them out, they are sold. People in Texas like NASCAR, and the RV customers at Sherrard RV have fallen in love with the mugs and especially the party lights. She has a lot of RV customers who are switching the lights on their RV awnings to the Sportec lights with their favorite drivers car all around the trailer or motorhome."

Pat Guy said, "Sportec NASCAR products are a real hit with our customers and a great new profit generator. The Sportec products we purchased to qualify for the Pit-Pass Sweepstakes were completely sold in less than 30 days."

John Hearn is the store manager at the Temple, Texas location for Ancira RV. His guest for the day was Martin Morales, the shop foreman. "We sell the mugs and lights in all five stores. The Sportec products have been one of the most popular items we have ever had in our stores. Sportec’s NASCAR products are now one of our fastest selling products and growing every week," said Hearn.

Vic Steinfels, vice president for Sportec Products Company recently announced the other winners who will soon have their day at the track. "This has been an amazing promotion for our company and there is a natural tie-in between NASCAR fans and RVing. Our products make money for RV dealers and are quick point-of-purchase impulse selections when positioned near the cashiers in a dealers parts and accessories store," said Steinfels.

Dan Morris of All Season ’s RV &Marine in Bend, Oregon will be Sportec ’s guest at the NAPA Auto Parts 500 at the California Speedway. Morris was delighted to learn of his prize, and said, "The Sportec Pit-Pass Sweepstakes gave us a chance to not only enjoy a great race but begin selling a great new product."

In August, Charlie Terry of Terry ’s RV Sales in Muncie, Indiana will be at one of the most famous race tracks in the country when he attends the Brickyard 400 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Terry was quick to point out, "Any RV dealer not selling Sportec ’s NASCAR products is missing a great profit opportunity."

Later in the year, Perry Gillinsky of Littrell Discount Auto &RV of Medford, Oregon gets a chance to walk through the garage and pits when NASCAR visits the Phoenix Speedway for the DuraLube 500. Perry said, "We have gained some new customers who came into our dealership looking for Sportec’s products.

"Sounds like Sportec has one of the hottest selling products of the year and dealers will be keeping them busy during the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup season.

American-made Sportec Products Assist the
Mentally Retarded and Developmentally
Disabled Employees in Ohio.

When many domestic manufacturers are heading to off-shore venues and eliminating jobs for Americans in America, it is refreshing when we find a company willing to buck the trend and put people before profits.

Sportec Products Company is a for-profit manufacturer of specialty licensed items that are sold to RV dealers through normal distribution channels. However, it ’s a manufacturer with a conscience. Like others, they could probably make more profit by going overseas or down to Mexico, but instead, they have chosen to stay and fight.

Sportec has teamed up with ARC Industries, a company that runs four Columbus, Ohio workshops for mentally disabled and developmentally disabled employees.

Sportec currently manufacturers products licensed by NASCAR and the NHL .They will soon expand the product offerings to other sports associations, including major college teams. In the RV industry, they offer high-profile driver helmet mugs and awning party lights. NASCAR fans are a large segment of the RV industry and they are part of the phenomenal growth of motorsports in America

Like RVing, NASCAR is a family sport with real-life heroes who still have great respect for the millions of fans that support them each weekend. NASCAR fans are the most fiercely loyal following in pro sports today. Each year they spend millions of dollars on products and services endorsed by their favorite drivers.

This strong fan loyalty has led to the rapid acceptance of Sportec products in the RV community and the mugs and lights have been extremely profitable for many dealers and distributors who have picked up these products.

This strong show of support will be great news for the folks at ARC Industries and the many employees working on Sportec products. John Fleming, a sales representative at ARC Industries, was mentioned in a Columbus Business Journal article (March 29,2002)and said that he has high hopes that the new open-ended agreement with Sportec will provide assembly and packaging work for 10 to 45 percent of the employees at ARC ’s facilities. "It has great potential. This will be a really big help to us," said Fleming.

Sportec hopes ARC Industries can become a reliable, domestic source of labor for its growing business, said Jerry Robison, national sales manager for the 4-year old privately held company.

"Most sports promotional products are produced overseas. We are using an effective program domestically. It’s really exciting to market an American-made product packaged by a local organization.

“Working with ARC has been a very rewarding experience and knowing that hundreds of disabled Americans will be employed because of Sportec’s commitment to manufacturing in the USA. ARC will continue to be an integral part of our growth plans," noted Robison.

We salute Sportec for taking a strong American-made position on their products and wish them well in their relationship with ARC Industries and the dedicated disabled employees who are working on the Sportec products.

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