Plenty of sponsors show up in drag racing with a check, a decal and hopes of getting their money’s worth. Scott Kunau showed up seven years ago and went to work.
This weekend at Rockingham, everybody gets to see his company.
Innovative Global Technology Group, better known around Paul Lee Racing as IGTG, and Perimeter.One will share primary sponsorship of Lee’s Funny Car for the NHRA Nationals at The Rock. It is a considerably larger piece of real estate for a company that was part of Lee’s operation long before its logo became bigger.
In drag racing, seven years can chew through drivers, crew chiefs, race cars, sponsors and occasionally an owner’s patience. IGTG has remained, serving as Lee’s official IT partner and handling the computer and technology side of the operation through the grind of the NHRA tour.
“IGTG has been part of Paul Lee Racing for seven years, and their support goes far beyond having their logo on our race car,” Lee said. “Scott and his team provide the IT infrastructure and support our crew relies on every race weekend.
“Our crew chiefs need to communicate, access information and analyze data quickly and reliably, and IGTG helps make that possible. We’re excited to showcase IGTG and Perimeter.One in a much bigger way at the NHRA Nationals at The Rock.”
The relationship works because Kunau isn’t somebody who discovered drag racing while putting together a sponsorship proposal. The sport got him first.
Monday at Indianapolis marked 40 years since Kunau became hooked on NHRA drag racing. Somewhere along the way, he managed to turn what he does for a living into something that keeps him close to nitro cars.
“Monday at this year’s U.S. Nationals I realized that it was my 40th anniversary getting hooked on NHRA,” Kunau said. “The power, noise, and speed are now part of my DNA.
“And, this year marks the 7th year my company has been a sponsor partner to multiple teams.”
Kunau founded IGTG in 2006, long before the company found its way onto Lee’s Funny Car. Its business is IT consulting and managed services, but around PLR, the job boils down to keeping the technology the team depends on working when it needs to work.
“We’ve helped PLR securely streamline the way they work with data, from the sensors in the car to the crew chief lounge computers,” Kunau said. “No matter what race teams need for their computers and networks, IGTG is right here and ready to answer the call.”
Kunau isn’t getting all of the body space to himself at Rockingham. Perimeter.One is coming along for the ride, sharing the primary with IGTG and bringing the security side of the technology business with it.
Perimeter.One founder Jason Weber doesn’t see a race team much differently than any other company when it comes to protecting its information. The office just happens to have a Funny Car sitting outside.
“Perimeter.One is honored to support Paul Lee Racing,” Weber said. “Businesses, and every race team is a business out here, need the same commitment to IT security everyday, especially as the rapid growth of AI adds new challenges to an already demanding threat landscape.
“We want this partnership to remind sponsors, team owners, racers, and even NHRA fans that IT security belongs on the starting line, not on the repair list after something goes wrong.”
For Kunau, there probably isn’t a much better intersection between what he does for a living and what has kept him coming back to the drag strip for four decades.
“Bringing together my love for drag racing and IT expertise to serve NHRA teams is a dream come true,” Kunau said. “As I always say, I can’t wait for my next ‘nitromethane fix!’”
