Elite Motorsports is bringing a piece of the great outdoors to the drag strip through a new partnership with Field & Stream TV and its parent company, Outdoor America Holdings.
The agreement will put Field & Stream TV and Outdoor America branding across Elite Motorsports’ fleet of NHRA race cars beginning with the NHRA Brainerd Nationals, Aug. 21-23, at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota.
For Elite Motorsports owner Richard Freeman, the connection reaches beyond simply putting another name on a race car. He sees considerable crossover between those who follow drag racing and those who spend their free time hunting, fishing and enjoying the outdoors.
“At Elite Motorsports, our team, drivers, and fans live and breathe the outdoor lifestyle when we’re not at the track,” Freeman said. “Field & Stream TV is a legendary American brand, and the vast reach of the Outdoor America Holdings publisher partners share our passion for competition, hard work, and the outdoors. Bringing them on board across our program is a natural fit, and we’re excited to represent them on and off the track.”
The partnership gives Field & Stream TV a presence within one of NHRA’s largest multi-car organizations. Elite Motorsports has built its reputation primarily through its Pro Stock operation while expanding its footprint across several categories of drag racing.
The program won’t be limited to what fans see at the track.
Plans call for collaborative digital content and cross-promotional campaigns involving Elite Motorsports, Field & Stream TV and Outdoor America. The two sides are also discussing a possible feature series titled
“Elite Motorsports Outdoors,” which would take the relationship away from the drag strip and into the outdoor activities shared by racers and fans.
That connection to NHRA’s audience was a significant part of the attraction for Outdoor America Holdings CEO Nick Rhodes.
“Partnering with Elite Motorsports gives us a direct connection to one of the most loyal and passionate fan bases in all of sports,” Rhodes said.
“This partnership celebrates the intersection of motorsports and the outdoors. NHRA fans are outdoor enthusiasts, hunters, anglers, and DIYers. Elite Motorsports sets the gold standard for performance and teamwork in drag racing, making them the ideal partner as we continue to expand the reach of Field & Stream TV and Outdoor America branded content.”
Brainerd provides an appropriate starting point for the program. The Minnesota race has long mixed NHRA competition with a camping culture that makes the national event one of the more distinctive stops on the tour.
Beginning there, the Field & Stream TV branding will be spread throughout the Elite Motorsports stable rather than attached to a single car or driver. That gives the partnership visibility across the team’s overall racing operation.
The agreement also represents another step in motorsports sponsorship moving beyond traditional automotive companies. In this case, Elite Motorsports and Outdoor America are betting that the person watching a Pro Stock car make a run on Sunday might be the same person headed to a lake, deer stand or workshop when the racing weekend is over.
