• by Karl Greenberg , September 19, 2011

NASCAR is bringing back its "Send Me 2 Vegas" promotion, and Ford Motor Co., Coca-Cola and the Game Show Network are all on board as sponsors.

The grand prize is a 2012 Ford Explorer XLT SUV, two VIP tickets to NASCAR "After The Lap," the opportunity to be featured in an on-air promotional spot on the Game Show Network and a two-night stay at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas.

"After the Lap," in its third year, is part of NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week. Sponsored by Ford and Coca-Cola, the show is a rap session featuring the 2011 top-12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.

A spokesperson at NASCAR's corporate marketing office in New York said this will be the first year that "After the Lap" takes place in Las Vegas. (It was in New York last year.) He explains that the program is a bit like a comedy show, where the top drivers line up on stage, and "unfiltered, talk about the season, and personal stuff. It's no holds barred. For fans it's a great way for them to ask questions."

He says both Coca-Cola and Ford will have a presence at the event, which is broadcast live on Sirius channel 90, and streamed on Nascar.com. He adds that GSN became part of the deal because it is a division of DirecTV, a NASCAR partner.

The Game Show Network is using the campaign to support its "The World Needs More Winners" branding push to "identify, celebrate and inspire all types of winners," per the official blurb. GSN will air a series of on-air spots featuring several NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers talking up their NASCAR winning moments and encouraging viewers to enter the Vegas sweepstakes.

Online, NASCAR is touting the program at NASCARAftertheLap.com, and at Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races, The Sprint Experience and at Coca-Cola's display at certain races. "'Send Me 2 Vegas' is an instrumental platform in Ford's marketing strategy for NASCAR," said Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing, in a statement, adding that the program gets customers in front of Ford.