The Canadian Curling Association has announced that Ludus Tours, erectile an international sports travel and hospitality company, has joined the CCA family as an official business partner. 

Ludus Tours was created in 2003 and has similar agreements in place with organizations such as USA Track&Field, Athletics Canada and USA Curling. Ludus specializes in putting together comprehensive travel packages for sports fans to allow them to watch their favourite athletes on the global stage.

“We think this is a wonderful opportunity for curling fans in Canada to be able to wave the Maple Leaf flag around the world,” said Canadian Curling Association Chief Executive Officer Greg Stremlaw. “Ludus Tours has a proven history of offering high-quality tour and hospitality packages to sports fans, and we’re happy to be working with them to promote Canadian curling at international events.”

As part of the new agreement with the Canadian Curling Association, Ludus is introducing Follow Team Canada packages to allow Canadian curling fans to watch our national teams compete in international events. The first opportunity to do so will be at the World Women’s Curling Championship, which begins March 16 in Riga, Latvia.

Ludus and CCA are also in place for Canadian curling fans to purchase packages to attend the 2014 World Financial Group Continental Cup in Las Vegas next January; the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, next February; and the 2014 World Men’s Curling Championship in Beijing, China, in late March 2014.

“Curling is one of those signature Winter Olympic sports, so being able to connect with such a strong and passionate fan base is a great opportunity,” said Adam Dailey, Ludus’ Chief Strategy Officer. “We’re so excited about welcoming the folks at the Canadian Curling Association to the Ludus family.”

Global banking giant, HSBC has revealed it will end its association with the FEI at the end of the 2013 season after six years as a major sponsor of Eventing.

The Hong Kong conglomerate, which put its name to the HSBC FEI Classics when it was first created in 2008, will remain as title sponsor of the series until the end of the current cycle at Burghley (GBR) in September. Pau (FRA) and Adelaide (AUS), which start the new 2013/2014 series, will be supported by HSBC and the cash award to the leading rider in the HSBC Rankings will be presented at the end of 2013.

HSBC, a familiar name on the international sporting circuit, is reviewing its overall sponsorship strategy and plans to focus on other sporting events in its key markets.

“We have had five wonderful years with the HSBC FEI Classics, and still have another one to go, and the series has proved hugely successful,” HSBC Group Head of Sponsorship, Giles Morgan said. “We would like to think that the series has now come of age and, as a result of its phenomenal success since we came in as title sponsors in 2008, that it will be snapped up by another sponsor keen to get global visibility in the equestrian world.

Morgan also revealed to iSportconnect that they are looking to associate themselves with fewer events in the future.

“We’ve realigned our sponsorship strategy, we are focusing in fewer bigger events and our key markets around the HSBC,” he added.

“The FEI strength is primarily in the UK with Badminton and Burghley but HSBC also sponsor Wimbledon, the British Lions and the Open Championship and it was felt we had enough top class sponsorship associations that we didn’t need Badminton and Burghley long term going forward.”

FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos paid tribute to HSBC for its support of equestrian sport. “HSBC has been a really great sponsor to work with and we are grateful that they had the vision to support a totally new concept, staying with it right from its conception through to its place now as one of the FEI’s flagship series. The HSBC FEI Classics has proved hugely popular with riders and with fans of the sport, and HSBC’s sponsorship has meant a major increase in prize money for Eventing which, in turn, has resulted in increased media coverage and visibility for our sport.

“We are very sorry to lose HSBC as a partner, and we are now of course proactively looking for a new sponsor for the series. We still have another year before we finally say goodbye to HSBC and our immediate focus is to ensure that the HSBC FEI Classics in 2013 provide a fitting farewell to HSBC and an acknowledgement of their incredible support of the series over the years.”

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ZOOM Motorsports announced today that Legacy Community Federal Credit Union has signed on as title sponsor of the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights race at Barber Motorsports Park.

The 2013 Legacy Indy Lights 100 is set for April 7 and will be one of the main features during the 4th annual Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama weekend, sale April 5 – 7. Designed as an essential stepping stone for drivers and teams striving to compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series, the Firestone Indy Lights features the best in young, international talent. 

“Legacy Credit Union has proudly been associated with Indy since it first came to Birmingham and after three years as the presenting sponsor of the Indy Grand Prix, we are excited to step up to our new role as Title Sponsor of the Legacy Indy Lights 100,” said Legacy President and CEO, Joe McGee. “It’s an honor to be a part of this dynamic event and to work with such quality organizations as IndyCar, Barber, and Zoom Motorsports. As a community credit union, we embrace opportunities to support and benefit our community in meaningful ways and look forward to another outstanding Indy weekend this year.” 

“Legacy has been a partner with us for several years, and we’re thrilled to have them as the title sponsor of the Firestone Indy Lights event,” stated Rick Humphrey, Vice President of ZOOM Motorsports, the exclusive event promoter at Barber Motorsports Park. “The Legacy Indy Lights 100 is an exciting race for fans of all ages and we hope everyone will enjoy seeing the up-and-coming IndyCar talent compete for the coveted title.” 

The 2013 Legacy Indy Lights 100 marks the series’ 4th visit to the Alabama-based Park. The weekend will also feature the IZOD IndyCar Series, Grand-Am Rolex Series, and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

NHRA announced today that O’Reilly Auto Parts has agreed to a multi-year extension of its title rights sponsorship of the NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway in Houston.

The 26th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries, herbal | April 26-28, ambulance is the sixth of 24 races in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The event has been a staple in the early part of the season since the late ’80s and among the favorite stops for the racing community.

“We’re excited to extend O’Reilly Auto Parts’ sponsorship of the Houston event,” said John Siragusa, senior director of sales and business development, NHRA. “O’Reilly Auto Parts is a valued partner of NHRA and a strong supporter of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.”

In addition to sponsorship of the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway in Houston, the auto parts giant maintains title rights for three additional NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events: the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago, and the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Seattle.

Aston Martin has agreed a racing partnership with leading damping and suspension specialist Bilstein, viagra buy appointing it as primary technical partner for Aston Martin Racing’s competition programme at the Nürburgring focused on the legendary ADAC Zurich 24 Hour race in May.

The new agreement builds on the existing long-term relationship between the two companies; Bilstein dampers are fitted as standard to all Aston Martin road cars.

The iconic blue and yellow colours of Bilstein are synonymous with the Nordschleife’s most famous endurance race, having featured on front-running cars for the past ten years. They will now grace the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 that will be driven by factory drivers Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan Mücke (D), alongside Nürburgring aces Allan Simonsen (DK) and Pedro Lamy (PT), who will join the pair to make up a formidable line-up as the team targets its strongest Nürburgring 24 Hours result to date.

Aston Martin’s CEO Dr Ulrich Bez, himself a Nürburgring 24 Hours class winner, commented: “Aston Martin has a long relationship with the Nürburgring; the circuit has been crucial to the testing and development of all of our recent road cars and we have been competing in the 24-hour race since 2006. In fact, last year, nearly ten per cent of the Vantage-based GT4 cars we have ever built raced there in VLN.

“Last year, too, Aston Martin Racing supported one of our partner teams, which entered a pair of V12 Vantage GT3s; we learned a lot, and now we return to take another step towards our ultimate goal of winning the race.

“Bilstein has played an important role in the success of our road cars, providing outstanding performance and quality, and their racing experience at the Nürburgring is second to none. I’m very happy that they are supporting us in our ambition to conquer one of motorsport’s biggest challenges.”

“We are very proud to extend our successful partnership with Aston Martin also in our ‘living-room’, the Nürburgring Nordschleife”, says Thorsten Schwippert, Managing Director AfterMarket & Motorsports at Bilstein. “The whole Bilstein Team is looking forward to support Aston Martin with all our technical knowledge and motorsports experience.”

The Bilstein-liveried V12 Vantage GT3 will first be seen in action at the 60. ADAC Westfalenfahrt four-hour race (VLN1) on 23 March and then again at the 55. ADAC ACAS H&R Cup (VLN3) on 27 April in preparation for the ADAC Zurich 24-Hour race on 19/20 May.

The US Sailing Team, discount Sperry Top-Sider has named Yale Cordage as the official High Performance Line and Rope Supplier through 2016.

Yale Cordage is a custom and specialty rope manufacturer, pharmacy based in Saco, denture Maine, that designs application-specific ropes for the marine, industrial, arborist and oceanographic industries. The partnership will supply Team members with high-performance line and rope, and contribute to their success at international competition.

The US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider is comprised of the United States’ top athletes in each of the 10 Olympic and three Paralympic classes who train together with the common goal of winning medals at the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“One of our core goals is to improve the performance development of sailors and their boats,” said Josh Adams, Managing Director, U.S. Olympic Sailing. “Critical to this goal is high-quality partnerships, and Yale Cordage is among the best American marine industry manufacturers. We are pleased to have them on board.”

Well-known in sailing circles as an innovator, Yale Cordage will work with US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider athletes and coaches to further research and development of their products. The team will be using an assortment of Crystalyne, Vectrus, Maxibrai, Ultrex and Yale Cordage’s latest release, Ph. D.

“Our entire product line is made in the U.S.A. and our employees take a lot of pride in knowing that they’re helping future Olympic and Paralympic sailors,” said Skip Yale, Account Manager, Yale Cordage. “Based upon our great experience from previous work with the team dating back to 2001, the line has continued to evolve to be lightweight and easy to grip. Many of the firsts in our company’s history have come from working with sailors, and we look forward to applying our passion for sailing to our work with the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider.”

In an effort to accelerate their marketing efforts around their vastly growing Bebida Beverage Company (BeBevCo.) brand, sickness KOMA Unwind will carry the event sponsorship role for the upcoming NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour(NWSMT) race at Southern National (N.C.) Motorsports Park on Saturday, purchase March 23.

Developed by BeBevCo., physician KOMA Unwind relaxes those who drink it. It also helps them improve both the duration and quality of their sleep with flair and favor. KOMA Unwind is formulated to relax the body, mind and soul. It is the perfect lifestyle beverage for those who can appreciate extreme relaxation.

The relaxation or “anti-energy” drink category is a new category to the beverage industry. This type of drink is dedicated to helping consumers achieve a level of relaxation without the use of pills or alcohol.

With plans to have a healthy presence in Motorsports this season, KOMA Unwind continues to fuel a “relaxation revolution” in a way to chill without a pill. 

The KOMA Unwind Relaxation 150 will be the fourth event of the season at the Kenly, North Carolina-based racetrack. In addition to the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, the afternoon will also feature four other local racing divisions consisting of Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Modifieds and UCARS.

KOMA Unwind will also have brand ambassadors onsite to give out free samples to attendees. Following the event, Southern National Motorsports Park has agreed to carry the popular beverage for the remainder of the season, available at all concession stand locations.

Additionally, KOMA Unwind has invited members of the United States Marine Corps. from nearby Camp Lejeune to attend the day’s festivities.

“I cannot begin to explain how excited we are about partnering with Southern National Motorsports Park for the upcoming races,” said BeBevCo. CEO Brian Weber. “Being a NASCAR racer myself, it’s very humbling to bring something back to the sport and support everyone in a couple weeks. Not only will we be an event sponsor, but we’re also opening the door for 100 Marines to take a breather and enjoy the action for themselves. If not for them and the rest of our Armed Forces, we would not be able to do this.”

He added, “KOMA Unwind is becoming increasingly popular throughout the country and that’s something everyone from the company is very proud of. As we continue to grow and expand, you will see a growing presence in various forms of partnerships. However, our mission remains clear to offer a way to chill without a pill.”

The first-ever KOMA Unwind Relaxation 150 is set for Saturday, March 23. Gates are tentatively scheduled to open at 11:00 a.m., with an on-track autograph sessions etched in at 1:30 p.m. with pre-race ceremonies set to commence at 1:55 p.m. and racing lifting off at 2:00 p.m.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats have announced C&D Cleaning Services Ltd as the club’s new main sponsor.

Based in Barnsley but operating throughout the North of England and into the Midlands, impotent C&D Cleaning Services Ltd have invested a six-figure sum to feature as the main shirt sponsor of the Wildcats for the remainder of the 2013 season and 2014.

Founded by Directors Gary Chapman and Shaun Downs in 1995, C&D Cleaning Services Ltd had their first involvement with the Wildcats at the end of 2012, and having seen the value in being associated with one of the sports most progressive clubs, have increased their investment to become main sponsor.

The announcement comes less than a fortnight after the Wildcats were made aware that previous main sponsors, Eric France Metal Recycling, had gone into liquidation and it was highly unlikely that they would be in a position to fulfil their financial commitment to the club.

Wildcats Chief Executive, James Elston, was thrilled that C&D Cleaning Services Ltd have become the clubs new main sponsor.

“It’s excellent news and fantastic to have C&D Cleaning Services on our shirts for the next two years,” said Elston.

“They’ve been a great company to work with in the opening months of our partnership and we’re delighted to be able to build on that with them now as main sponsor.  It’s great that in the short time we’ve been working together that they’ve seen what a partnership with the club can do for their business and the extra profile that comes with being main sponsor can only enhance that.

“People might be under the impression that because the deal has been done so quickly that we haven’t got full value for the sponsorship, but I assure them that’s not the case.  C&D Cleaning Services saw this as a fantastic opportunity to work with us to increase their profile even further and have been prepared to put in the investment to get this and we know they will see returns on that.

“At a time when sponsorship is hard to come by, we’re really pleased to have signed up a new main sponsor so quickly and we’re hopeful that with some of the opportunities that still exist, that there will be more positive news to come in the near future.”

“We came to our first game at the end of last season and really bought into rugby league and saw the benefits that could come with working as partners of the Wildcats,” said Gary Chapman, Managing Director at C&D Cleaning Services Ltd.

“Since then we’ve become a principal partner and when the opportunity came up to become main sponsor we jumped at it.  We’ve seen how being a principal partner can help the business to flourish and the extra exposure locally and nationally from being on the shirts is something we think will be a big benefit to us.

“It’ll be a proud moment to see the Wildcats run out with the logo on the shirt and we’re equally as proud to be playing our part in the community and helping the Wildcats to continue to progress.”

Ricoh Australia, one of the leading providers of document & imaging solutions to Australian businesses, has committed to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Youth Sailing Academy through a sponsorship of one of the Elliott 6.0m yachts.

Ricoh works closely with its customers to create innovative, unique and tailored solutions that truly deliver business efficiencies to support their knowledge management. Ricoh solutions simplify the life and work of our customers, allowing them to focus on their own business priorities.

“The CYCA has a prominent and long-standing history within the Australian yachting community and Ricoh is proud to have joined the team as a sponsor of the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy,” said Ricoh Australia’s Managing Director, Les Richardson. 

“This sponsorship is an expansion of Ricoh’s local support and is beneficial for both parties. The CYCA have a fleet of our latest products and we look forward to continuing our support while adding value and expertise to the organisation’s operations.”

CYCA Commodore Howard Piggott thanked Ricoh Australia for their support of youth sailing. “The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia prides itself on the services and facilities offered through our Youth Sailing Academy. Elliott sponsorship is vital to the ongoing maintenance of the training fleet and provides support for the many programs and regattas that the CYCA’s Youth Sailing Academy conducts,” Commodore Piggott said.

“A new fleet of Elliott 7.0m boats will be launched in August this year to coincide with the 20 year anniversary of the foundation of the Youth Sailing Academy,” he added