CORONA, Calif. (April 29, 2015) – Funrise Toys®, manufacturer of TONKA branded products under license from Hasbro® has returned as a sponsorship partner with Team Lucas for this year’s Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series with increased on-site event participation, as well as significant exposure on CBS, CBS Sports Network and MAVTV.
TONKA Motorsports is looking to leave an even bigger impression during this year’s season in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series. Funrise will continue its sponsorship with Pro 2 driver, Myan Spaccarelli and is excited to announce the addition of veteran driver, Eric Barron to the Tonka Off-Road race team, competing in the Pro 4 class racing TONKA Toyota branded trucks equipped with Toyota motors.
In addition to Spaccarelli and Barron, Pro Lite and Pro Buggy driver, Taylor Atchison will add two more TONKA-branded race vehicles to the team as he competes in both classes.
“Tonka Motorsports’ presence both on the track and off will add an increased level of excitement for fans of all ages” Funrise Vice-President of Marketing, Kathy Hawk said. “Each year TONKA has been involved with the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series, the company has been delighted with the positive reception from race fans” said Hawk.
Families visiting Lucas Oil Off-Road Races can also expect areas set up for the littlest race fans to play. At each event on this year’s calendar, kids receive free admission to TONKA’s Fun Zone where they can play in the dirt with toy replicas of the vehicles they see racing. In addition, upon entry, each child 12 and under receives a “Spin N Win” ticket for one lucky spin for great TONKA prizes. Kids will receive a goody bag with stickers, TONKA Team Member Adventure and Pit Passes which allow kids and their parents to get up close and personal with their favorite TONKA Off-Road race team drivers.
“We will continue setting up TONKA Fun Zones at each race as a destination where kids can play in sand pits and get hands on with TONKA toys,” Hawk said. “We also will have a 15-foot inflatable dump truck stationed on track, and will be selling Tonka Off-Road vehicles at all events. We are always happy to be able to provide a destination where kids and parents come to play with TONKAs between races. They always leave with a smile.”
Lucas Oil Executive Vice President Bob Patison said: “TONKA’s presence at Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series events further bolsters the family-friendly atmosphere of races. It’s great having the company back on board in 2015 because TONKA offers great at-track activities for our youngest race fans.”
Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Schedule – 2015
Mar 20 – 21
Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park
Lake Elsinore, CA
Pro: All / Kart: All
Apr 24 – 25
Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park
Chandler, AZ
Pro: All / Kart: All
May 30 – 31
Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park
Lake Elsinore, CA
Pro: All / Kart: All
Jun 20 – 21
Miller Motorsports Park
Tooele, UT
Pro: All / Kart: Modified Kart Only
Jul 18 – 19
Glen Helen Raceway
Glen Helen, CA
Pro: All / Kart: All
Aug 1 – 2
Baja International Short Course at Estero Beach
Pro: All / Kart: Modified Kart Only
Aug 22 – 23
Wild West Motorsports Park
Sparks, Nevada
Pro: All / Kart: Modified Kart Only
Sep 18 – 19
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, NV
Pro: All / Kart: Modified Kart Only
Oct 24 – 25
Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park
Lake Elsinore, CA
Pro: All / Kart: All
Dec 5
TBA Awards Banquet
About Funrise
Founded in 1987, Funrise is an adventurous innovator of superior toys and an industry leader in the manufacturing and distribution of the most popular children’s toys. Simply put…we create fun! Funrise is the manufacturer of leading licensed power brands such as TONKA®, MY LITTLE PONY®, BABY ALIVE®, POUND PUPPIES®, LITTLEST PET SHOP®, and their core property portfolio includes Gazillion® Bubbles, Stackins Stackable Friends, Shelcore’s line of pre-school toys and more, making their product offerings diverse and full of fun for kids of all ages! Funrise Toy Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Matrix Holdings Limited. Funrise U.S. headquarters are located in Van Nuys, CA, with an office in Hong Kong, and with additional showrooms in Dallas, Minneapolis, Bentonville, United Kingdom and Australia. For more information, visit: www.funrise.com
About Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing
The continually growing Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series brings door-to-door, four-wheel action to challenging, fan-friendly tracks. Team Lucas is an alliance between Lucas Oil Products and select marketing partners that enhances brand awareness, maximizes television coverage and enhances live, ‘family friendly’ event experiences for fans. Lucas Oil Products is the world leader of high-performance lubricants and problem-solving additives, and distributes hundreds of unique formulations in 40 countries, with continued growth every year. Its television production arm, Lucas Oil Production Studios, produces more than 300 hours of programming for CBS, CBS Sports and the Lucas-owned MAVTV Network.
For more information visit: lucasoil.com & mavtv.com