Au Uncorked

Aussie Vineyards Runs Two Cars on the Gold Coast

Will Power will be joined by teammate Oriol Servia in the gold and green team colours next weekend when Aussie Vineyards backs two cars in the 2008 Nikon Indy 300, held on Australia’s Gold Coast. 

The two-pronged approach will include Power in the #8 Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia car, and Servia in the #5 car – usually a silver, blue and orange car. However, for the Gold Coast race, the Spaniard will join Power in flying the colours of the home team.

The Nikon Indy 300 will be the 19th and final race of the 2008 IndyCar Series and will be held on the streets of Surfers Paradise, Australia.  It is considered to be Australia's largest motorsport party both on and off the track.

It will be the first time the race is held for the Indy Racing League after 17 years as a Champ Car race. The race will not count towards the 2008 Indycar season points, as the race date is held after Chicagoland Speedway, which was preset as the season finale prior to the merger of Champ Car and IRL.

The cars of KV Racing Technology were unveiled in the pit lane of the Nikon Indy 300 circuit earlier in the week, with Power on hand to unveil the two thoroughbred IndyCar racing machines of the Indianapolis-based team.

Power and Servia are looking forward to the huge crowds cheering them on in Power’s native land, against an unusually strong field of contenders this year.

Save Mart & Aussie Vineyards Sponsor On-Line Consumer Contest

Barbara Hann of Chico, California was the winner of an on-line contest sponsored by Save Mart and Aussie Vineyards that was held in conjunction with the Toyota/Save Mart 350, part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The contest included an instant win game as well as a “Show Your Race Spirit” photo upload.

Hann won a $10,000 trip to Australia after she played the instant win game and entered a photo demonstrating her “race fan pride.” Her photo, title and short description were judged on creativity, originality and appropriateness to the theme. Thousands of on-line consumers participated in the contest.

Hann’s winning photo depicted herself, clad in a race helmet, as a passenger in a racecar ready for the upcoming NASCAR race.  She was awarded her prize at a local Save Mart store during a short ceremony that included a cake depicting a racetrack.

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 was held in June at Infineon Raceway at Sears Point in Sonoma, California.

Photo (above left):  Michael Croghan, Aussie Vineyards; Barbara Hann, contest winner; Alicia Rockwell, Save Mart Director of Communications; Tom Brown, Save Mart Store Manager. Photo (above right): Barbara Hann's winning photo.
 

 

Power Has Best Race of the Season

Aussie Vineyard – Team Australia driver Will Power had his best finish on an oval track this past weekend at the PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. Power made a fifth place finish after starting from 10th in the #8 Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia car and ran in the front part of the field throughout the 200-lap race.

Aussie Vineyards U.S. president Duncan Shaw hosted Joe Russo of Wein-Bauer, Inc., Aussie Vineyards’ Illinois distributor, at the race.

Power’s strong result leaves him in 12th place in the overall 2008 IndyCar Series Driver Standings and third in the Bombardier Rookie of the Year standings.

New to oval racing this year, Power and the Aussie Vineyards crew have used strong car speed and slick, efficient pit stops to improve throughout the season. This finish gives Power six top 10 finishes this season, including the Champ Car finale in Long Beach, California, as well as seven top 10 qualifying performances from 17 races in his debut IndyCar Series season.

Next stop for Power and Aussie Vineyard – Team Australia car will be at their home race, the Nikon Indy 300, on the streets of Surfers Paradise in Queensland, Australia.

Smart & Final Makes the Most of Race in Sonoma

Executives from the Smart & Final grocery store chain hosted approximately 100 top executives, store directors and their guests at a trackside reception at the Peak Indy Grand Prix at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California to cheer on Will Power. 

Reception attendees included Smart & Final CEO George Golleher, Senior Vice President of Operations Tim Snee, Queensland Trade Commissioner Peter Beattie, Aussie Vineyard CEO Craig Gore and Aussie Vineyards U.S. President Duncan Shaw.

The reception was part of the integrated co-op sponsorship arrangement between Au wine, Smart & Final and KV Racing Technology. The Smart & Final logo was displayed on the #8 Aussie Vineyards-Team Australia car and the retailer enjoyed VIP credentials for the race. The Smart & Final logos also appeared on the Team Australia car at the Champ Car finale in Long Beach, California, earlier in the season when Power dominated the race to take victory to earn 53 IndyCar Series points.

Power had a strong start in the race, however brake failure early in the race derailed his chances at the podium. The 27-year old Australian native will look to put his bad luck behind him next weekend with the Detroit Indy Grand Prix at the Belle Isle street circuit in Detroit, Michigan.

Photo at right: Kevin Kalkhoven, Race team owner
Tim Snee; Senior Vice President, Smart & Final Store Operations; Craig Gore, CEO, Aussie Vineyards; Will Power, Team Australia driver.

Power is a Strong Finish at IndyCar in Mid-Ohio

Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia driver Will Power had a strong showing this weekend as he earned his best IndyCar Series finish with fourth place in the Honda Indy 200. The race was held at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course in Lexington, Ohio.

The #8 Team Australia IndyCar sported the Fox and Hound® Pub & Grill logo, as well as the Aussie Vineyards mark for the race, as part of a partnership between Aussie Vineyards and the restaurant group. The co-sponsorship extends to the IndyCar race at the Kentucky Speedway in August and was part of the Indy 500 race earlier this season.

Power’s previous best IndyCar finish was eighth on the St. Petersburg street circuit in April. He qualified 12th in the early stages of the Mid-Ohio race and was able to move up the order quickly as a result of pitting to change from slick tyres to wets on the second lap. Heavy rains just moments before the start of the race made strategy crucial.

Power and the Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia crew will be back in action next weekend for the Rexall Edmonton Indy in Edmonton, Canada as the former Champ Car venue hosts its first IndyCar Series event.

Power Has Impressive Indy 500 Debut

Will Power, driving the #8 Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia car, placed an impressive 13th at the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Despite only having raced on two oval tracks prior to the Indy 500, Power finished on the lead lap in his debut at the famed “Brickyard.”

Power now sits eighth in the 2008 IndyCar Series points standings and maintains his lead in the Bombardier Rookie of the Year standings.

Several Team Australia supporters made the long trip from Queensland to Indianapolis, including Aussie Vineyards Chairman Craig Gore and winemaker Jon Heslop. Aussie Vineyards  President Duncan Shaw also attended the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Scott Dixon became the first native of New Zealand to win the Indianapolis 500 in an exciting, hard-fought race.

An estimated 375 million households worldwide watched the televised race.

Power on the Diamond

Clad in his favourite Au shirt, Team Australia driver Will Power had the honour of throwing out the first pitch at a recent Detroit Tigers game in Comerica Park against the Seattle Mariners.  While Power appears to be more suited to motorsports, his Major League Baseball debut was strong, as he threw the ball over the plate with no bounces. The appearance was part of an IndyCar Series promotion. The Tigers beat the Mariners 12-8 at home.

Aussie Vineyards Partners with Fox and Hound® Pub & Grill

A recently announced partnership between Aussie Vineyards and the Fox & Hound Restaurant Group will add more excitement to Team Australia’s quest for an Indy 500 victory later this month.

The Fox and Hound® Pub & Grill will have logo placement on the #8 Team Australia car at the world’s most famous race, as well as at Indy races at the Mid-Ohio Speedway in July and the Kentucky Speedway in August. 

Diners in seven Fox and Hound locations in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky will be able to enjoy Aussie Vineyards’ portfolio of Au wines by the glass. Au point-of-sale and promotional items, including flags, pens, beads, table tents and menu inserts will be part of the overall promotional package for each location.

Wine tastings and driver appearances will also be held in each market in conjunction with the IndyCar series. The first of these were held in Indianapolis last week and received great reviews. Will Power and Oriol Servia were on hand at the Fox and Hound restaurants at 4901 E. 82nd Street in Indianapolis and 14490 Lowes Way in Carmel, Indiana to meet fans and sign autographs.

Fox & Hound Restaurant Group owns and operates entertainment-themed restaurants under the Fox and Hound® and Bailey’s brand names.  Each brand provides a social gathering place that offers high-quality food, drinks and entertainment in an upscale, casual environment.

Newcomers - Including Power - Have Chance to Win Indy

According to a recent article on IndyStar.com, there is plenty of opportunity for a newcomer to walk away with victory at the Indy 500 later this month.

Team Australia’s Will Power, sponsored by Aussie Vineyards, was one of the rookies cited in the article by Curt Cavin as having a shot at the prestigious title this year. Cavin interviewed a number of Indy veterans including Tony Kanaan, a heavy favorite this year, who said he is not discounting the chances of the newcomers. Former 500 winner Bobby Rahal cited Power as one who he thinks can overcome inexperience to win the race.

Factors such as preparedness, knowledge, engineering and strategy were cited as more critical than in the past and may help newcomers overcome inexperience.

With as many as 13 rookies in the 33-car field, the world’s most famous motorsports event promises excitement again this year. The race will be held on May 25.

To see the entire article, Download indy_star_article.pdf

It’s Been a Banner Year So Far …

Enthusiasm was certainly running high at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, as Will Power turned in a spectacular victory. So high, in fact, that the Aussie Vineyard Champ Car banner seems to have been stolen!

As the last official race of Champ Car, we can only speculate that the banner that depicts the green and yellow Team Australia champ car inside an Aussie Vineyards wine bottle is now considered a collector’s item.