READING, Pa., Jan. 24, 2012 – ODYSSEY® battery by EnerSys® will be the primary sponsor of the new BIGFOOT® monster truck team in 2012, which will include a fully sponsored ODYSSEY® battery BIGFOOT® monster truck. A long-time sponsor for BIGFOOT® 4×4’s racing and display program, ODYSSEY® batteries provide the rugged dry-cell batteries found in the BIGFOOT® 4×4’s entire fleet of monster trucks, haulers and shop vehicles.
The ODYSSEY® battery BIGFOOT® monster truck made its competition debut during the first weekend of January 2012 in Charlotte, N.C. at the Bojangles Coliseum. From there, the truck will compete at a number of other monster truck events during the 2012 indoor season, including events in Guthrie, Okla.; Farmington, N.M.; Amarillo, Texas; Pikeville, Ky.; Calgary, Alberta; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
“When we realized how long we’d been partnered with the BIGFOOT® organization, we decided to step up our involvement in it,” said Dave McMullen, director of marketing for EnerSys, manufacturer ofODYSSEY® batteries. “The results were fantastic: we loved the added exposure we gained from being on the side of the trucks, and it helped us market our product even better to both our existing customers and our potential customers in the stands at the events. There’s nothing like the punishing conditions of a monster truck race to show ODYSSEY® batteries at their rugged best.”
“Since switching to ODYSSEY® batteries in the early 2000s, we’ve won an unprecedented 18 championships between our six race trucks,” said Jim Kramer, BIGFOOT® vice president of research, technology and driver development. “That says a lot about both BIGFOOT® and ODYSSEY® batteries.”
After providing the team with batteries for more than a decade, ODYSSEY® battery expanded its presence on the trucks in 2011 to include larger ODYSSEY® batteries logos on the truck bodies and transporters, which included a BIGFOOT® monster truck display in its exhibit at the 2011 SEMA show in Las Vegas.
“The truck’s presence was a great success with both the press and fans,” Kramer said. “Some hard-core monster truck fans said that is was one of the best looking new BIGFOOT® trucks that they’ve seen in a long time.”
The success of the SEMA exhibit led ODYSSEY® batteries to run a BIGFOOT® truck all year.
“Our entire team is very excited about adding a fully sponsored ODYSSEY® battery BIGFOOT® monster truck to our fleet,” Vice President of Sponsorships and Business Development Bob Trent said. “It is a huge morale boost to everyone here when we see a long-time sponsor like ODYSSEY® battery stepping up and showing to the world its confidence in our team, and I think it’s safe to say that everyone at ODYSSEY® battery knows this truck will be running hard non-stop, starting with the first weekend in January.”
ABOUT ENERSYS®
EnerSys®, the world leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, manufactures, distributes and services reserve power, motive power and starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries, chargers, power equipment, and battery accessories to customers worldwide. SLI batteries are used for trucks and buses, passenger cars, boats, personal watercraft, ATVs, motorcycles and garden tractors. The company also provides aftermarket and customer support services to its customers from more than 100 countries through its sales and manufacturing locations around the world. For more information about EnerSys® and its ODYSSEY® batteries, visit www.enersys.com or www.ODYSSEYbattery.com.
ABOUT BIGFOOT® 4X4 INC.
Since its inception in 1975, BIGFOOT®, The Original Monster Truck®, has gone on to achieve worldwide notoriety, and spawned an entire family of BIGFOOT® monster trucks that have pioneered the growth of the monster truck industry. Created by St. Louis-area contractor Bob Chandler and his wife Marilyn in 1975 as a promotional tool for their Midwest Four Wheel Drive business, the BIGFOOT® fleet has captured 29 National Championships, set numerous world records for monster trucks, and travelled to more than 26 countries. In 2009, BIGFOOT® was named one of the “Top 5 Marketing Vehicles of All Time.” Since 1975, more than 20 BIGFOOT® vehicles have been constructed, and today the team campaigns seven BIGFOOT® monster trucks full-time in North America, in addition to one BIGFOOT® truck based in England. The team averages more than 700 appearance days annually, and achieves in excess of 4 million impressions each year. Visit the team online at www.bigfoot4x4.com