Progressive Direct Sponsors The Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Racing Series
Company Also Gives Military Families Across the Country a Super Day at Supercross, Making Their Lives a Little Easier
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio (April 6, 2006) – The nation’s largest motorcycle and third largest car insurance group, The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, today announced that its Progressive Direct brand, which is sold by phone and online, is now a sponsor of the 2006 Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the world’s premier off-road motorcycle racing series.
As part of the sponsorship, Progressive Direct will reward riders who get the holeshot, or early lead, in the main event at each race for the remainder of the season. In the AMA Supercross class, riders who get the holeshot will receive $1,500 while in the AMA Supercross Lites class, riders will receive $1,000. The agreement also includes prominent on-track signage, on-site and Internet promotions, giveaways and broadcast exposure.
“We’re thrilled to be part of bringing AMA Supercross racing to families across the U.S.,” said Miriam Deitcher, advertising manager, Progressive Direct. “Rewarding the rider who gets the early lead in the main event is a perfect fit for Progressive Direct since we’ve been leading the way in insurance innovation for years.”
The sport continues to grow in popularity and is fast becoming more and more mainstream. Said Deitcher, “Supercross is easy for fans to interact with and experience – just like progressive.com. We make it easy to shop for, buy and own insurance – whether you’ve got a car, pickup truck or dirt bike – and we want people to know they’ve got options when it comes to protecting their vehicles. This sponsorship is a great opportunity to increase awareness of all our products with an ever-growing audience of Supercross enthusiasts.”
“Adding Progressive Direct to our list of sponsors is a tremendous win for us,” said Tim Murray, senior vice president of sales for Live Nation, which produces and promotes the racing series. “We benefit by aligning ourselves with a premier brand and Progressive Direct enjoys significant brand exposure both on-site at each race and through television broadcasts and other coverage.”
Progressive Direct is also making the lives of some military families across the U.S. easier by donating tickets and pit passes for races throughout the series to various military groups.
The complete Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series schedule can be found at www.supercross.cc.com. Fans who can’t make it out to the track can watch the 2006 series on the SPEED Channel cable network and on the CBS television network by checking their local listings.
The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, in business since 1937, ranks third in the nation for auto insurance based on premiums written and provides drivers with competitive rates and 24/7 in-person and online service. The products and services of the Progressive Direct Group of Insurance Companies are marketed directly to consumers under the Progressive DirectSM brand by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE and online at www.progressivedirect.com and www.progressiveseguros.com, a site for Spanish-speaking consumers. Progressive Direct offers consumers conveniences that help make car insurance easier, including comparison rates of other big name insurance companies and the ability to shop for, buy and manage their policies by phone or online, 24/7. The Common Shares of the Progressive Corporation, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based holding company, are publicly traded at NYSE:PGR. More information can be found at www.progressive.com.