Angie’s List back on track with IndyCar Series deal

Indianapolis-based Angie’s List, which marked its sixth straight year in 2013 as a team sponsor at the Indianapolis 500, announced on Saturday that it will be sponsoring the car driven by Tristan Vautier for several more races this year.

Financial details of the deal, which began with Sunday's Mid-Ohio race, were not disclosed. Sports marketers estimated the deal to be in the high five-figure to low six-figure range.

If Angie's List officials decide to make the company's involvement with the IndyCar Series a major part of its advertising and marketing campaign, it could be a big coup for the series and the team the company partners with. Angie's List, which is still struggling to turn a profit, has poured tens of millions of dollars into marketing annually to bolster its brand and win subscribers to its growing service.

In addition to Mid-Ohio, Angie’s List, a publicly traded national consumer review company, has signed to be Vautier’s sponsor at the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma, the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston and in the season finale at the MAVTV 500.

Vautier drives for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. The rookie Frenchman is 20th in the IndyCar points standings through 14 races.

“Everyone at Schmidt Peterson has a great spirit and drive to excel that we love to see,” said Angie’s List founder Angie Hicks. “We’re excited to follow Tristan through the season, and we expect to see Angie’s List green at the front of the pack.”
 
The relationship between Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and Angie’s List began at the 2013 Indianapolis 500 when the company sponsored the No. 81 car driven by Katherine Legge. She qualified for Indy on Bump Day after turning fewer than 30 laps in the car before her qualifying attempt and finished 26th.
 
“Angie's List stepped in at the perfect time this past May to help us put the No. 81 car on the starting grid for the most famous race in the world,” said team owner Sam Schmidt.
 
“Our team grew drastically before the start of this season to include a second IZOD IndyCar Series entry with Tristan Vautier," Schmidt added. “Welcoming a nationally known partner like Angie's List shows that we’ll continue to grow.”