In an era when some road events and teams are suffering sponsorship losses, Granny Gear has signed Suzuki Automotive as the title sponsor of the 2008 24 Hour National Points Series of six races in California, Georgia, West Virginia, Vermont, Missouri, and Utah. The annual points series is heading into its third year
"I think it is important for the whole sport of mountain biking that a title sponsor has come on board," said Laird Knight, Granny Gear President.
"Mountain bikers are people who live life to the fullest and don't just watch it go by," said Gene Brown, vice president of marketing and public relations, American Suzuki. "Suzuki Automotive's sponsorship of the 24 Hour Series was a natural match."
Knight predicted racers will see the biggest difference in this year's coverage of events. "We've been focusing on producing great events but we haven't had the resources to tell the myriad stories that unfold and make the events special. We're really going to focus on getting these stories told: on the web, in local newspapers and, of course, in MTB magazines."
Racers will enjoy some other, more direct benefits. "We also want to take care of people better and provide a little more social time by catering an awards banquet, free to racers, at the end of each event," said Knight. "Community is such an important part of this sport and there's nothing more enjoyable than sitting down and sharing a meal with a couple of hundred of your best friends after a long, hard ride. So, wherever logistics permit, we will host an awards banquet as part of the awards ceremony."
