MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 7, 2011— Great
Clips and NASCAR's Nationwide Series formed a high-octane team
over Labor Day Weekend at the Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) for the
Great
Clips 300. Nearly 63,000 fans packed the stands on Sept. 3 for
Great
Clips’ second running as a title sponsor of the NASCAR
Nationwide Race.
“Last year’s event was a great success, as we set the attendance record for a Nationwide race,” said Terri Miller, vice president of marketing and communications. “This year, we really focused on making it bigger and better by making it an affordable and fun event for NASCAR fans and their families.”
Coverage included national media promoting the Saturday night race, plus the Great Clips logo appearing on the infield and in television commercials for Nationwide and Sprint Cup races throughout that weekend. A big part of the strong attendance was attributed to exciting pre-race promotions and special offers by Great Clips and AMS, such as the “Gimme Gotta Getta” ticket contest that ran in the Atlanta market and surrounding area, a special family pricing offer, a social media partnership, and the donation of nearly 2,000 tickets to members of the military.
Great Clips fielded two entries in the race; Kasey Kahne was behind the wheel of the No. 38 Chevrolet, while Jason Leffler piloted the No. 30 Chevrolet for Great Clips.
After starting from the seventh spot, Kahne quickly moved up to fifth, but expressed to his crew chief that he needed some help battling an extremely loose-handling condition in his No. 38 Chevrolet. The yellow flag came out on lap 132, and Kahne lined up second for the restart, but quickly took the lead and began to distance himself from the rest of the field. Kahne held the lead position for the next 22 laps, until the caution flag was displayed on lap 163.Throughout the final 25-lap shootout to the checkers, Kahne battled hard and in the end brought the Great Clips Chevrolet home with a fifth-place finish.
Leffler and the No. 30 Great Clips team started from the 16th spot and quickly made their way inside the top-10 and eventually into the top-five. On the final lap, Leffler lost the handle on his machine coming to the checkered flag and took an exciting spin through the grass crossing the finish line in the ninth spot.
The night was marked by several momentous events:
About Great Clips, Inc.
Great Clips, Inc. was established in 1982 in Minneapolis. Today, Great Clips has more than 3,000 salons throughout the United States and Canada, making it the world’s largest salon brand. Great Clips salons employ nearly 25,000 stylists who receive ongoing training to learn advanced skills and the latest trends. Make Great Clips your choice for value-priced, high-quality haircare for men, women and children. No appointments needed, and salons are open nights and weekends. And, it’s more convenient than ever with Great Clips’ Online Check-In. To check-in online, visit www.greatclips.com or download the app for Android and iPhone. For more information about Great Clips, Inc. or to find a location near you, visit www.greatclips.com.
“Last year’s event was a great success, as we set the attendance record for a Nationwide race,” said Terri Miller, vice president of marketing and communications. “This year, we really focused on making it bigger and better by making it an affordable and fun event for NASCAR fans and their families.”
Coverage included national media promoting the Saturday night race, plus the Great Clips logo appearing on the infield and in television commercials for Nationwide and Sprint Cup races throughout that weekend. A big part of the strong attendance was attributed to exciting pre-race promotions and special offers by Great Clips and AMS, such as the “Gimme Gotta Getta” ticket contest that ran in the Atlanta market and surrounding area, a special family pricing offer, a social media partnership, and the donation of nearly 2,000 tickets to members of the military.
Great Clips fielded two entries in the race; Kasey Kahne was behind the wheel of the No. 38 Chevrolet, while Jason Leffler piloted the No. 30 Chevrolet for Great Clips.
After starting from the seventh spot, Kahne quickly moved up to fifth, but expressed to his crew chief that he needed some help battling an extremely loose-handling condition in his No. 38 Chevrolet. The yellow flag came out on lap 132, and Kahne lined up second for the restart, but quickly took the lead and began to distance himself from the rest of the field. Kahne held the lead position for the next 22 laps, until the caution flag was displayed on lap 163.Throughout the final 25-lap shootout to the checkers, Kahne battled hard and in the end brought the Great Clips Chevrolet home with a fifth-place finish.
Leffler and the No. 30 Great Clips team started from the 16th spot and quickly made their way inside the top-10 and eventually into the top-five. On the final lap, Leffler lost the handle on his machine coming to the checkered flag and took an exciting spin through the grass crossing the finish line in the ninth spot.
The night was marked by several momentous events:
- Great Clips CEO Rhoda Olsen was the Grand Marshal for the event and welcomed fans with NASCAR’s famous phrase “Drivers, start your engines.”
- Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient Lt. Craig Henderson joined Great Clips officials during pre-race introductions.
- Atlanta franchisee Greg Thomas had the honor of dropping the green flag to signal the start of the race.
- Great Clips Chief Financial Officer Steve Overholser represented Great Clips in victory lane, as he awarded the trophy to race winner Carl Edwards in the No. 60 Fastenal Ford.
- Quarter Midget racers participated in an exhibition race and were visited by Sprint Cup drivers.
About Great Clips, Inc.
Great Clips, Inc. was established in 1982 in Minneapolis. Today, Great Clips has more than 3,000 salons throughout the United States and Canada, making it the world’s largest salon brand. Great Clips salons employ nearly 25,000 stylists who receive ongoing training to learn advanced skills and the latest trends. Make Great Clips your choice for value-priced, high-quality haircare for men, women and children. No appointments needed, and salons are open nights and weekends. And, it’s more convenient than ever with Great Clips’ Online Check-In. To check-in online, visit www.greatclips.com or download the app for Android and iPhone. For more information about Great Clips, Inc. or to find a location near you, visit www.greatclips.com.
