NASCAR Celebrates Daytona's 50th with New Licensing Program

As the Daytona 500 nears its 50th anniversary this month, NASCAR is racing ahead with its new licensing program, serving as agent for International Speedway Corp., which operates Daytona Speedway and 12 other tracks in the United States.

“We’re excited about the 50th anniversary and the launch of our licensing program with ISC,” Blake Davidson, managing director licensed products, NASCAR, told License! Global. “We’ve been working feverishly the past couple of months on this event, and creating the merchandising and marketing plan.” The Daytona 500 is the first major event to be held since NASCAR signed the deal with ISC last year.

Fifty licensees—from apparel to collectibles and novelties—were brought on for anniversary product, according to Davidson, with retail presence at the NASCAR.com superstore; Kroger, the official retailer of the Daytona 50th Anniversary; mass chains such as Kmart and Wal-Mart; and a special edition of QVC’s weekly NASCAR show dedicated to the anniversary.

“Although much of the focus is on the traditional product categories, we have come up with some unique brand extensions,” says Davidson, notably a license agreement with renowned artist Thomas Kinkade, who will be creating nostalgic gallery prints celebrating Daytona’s storied history.