TV ads becoming huge focus for sponsors

In one of its recent rankings, Forbes Magazine rated the Daytona 500 as the fourth most valuable sporting event brand, trailing only the Super Bowl, the Summer Olympics and the World Cup.

It is a strange dichotomy among television viewers of the Super Bowl, this year won by destiny's pick, the Indianapolis Colts, that people tune in as much for the commercials as they do for the game itself.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

Chevy spot chosen
best new Daytona ad

The fans have voted. And of the 30 new commercials to make their debut during the Daytona 500, a Chevy spot featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr.and Tony Stewart was selected as the best.

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This year, the sponsors that make NASCAR go, treated the annual event like the Super Bowl of NASCAR with a bevy of new commercials. NASCAR, in its position as the sanctioning body, went to the public through NASCAR.COM, to choose the winners, and by golly, the public has spoken.

"NASCAR drivers have a very strong public image, and they literally drive their sponsors' business," said Steve Phelps, NASCAR's chief marketing officer. "Drivers resonate with fans, allowing sponsors to tap into the NASCAR fans' legendary brand loyalty. And with drivers in so many spots, it makes for continuous viewing; fans see their favorites making moves on and off the race track."

As you might expect, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart were tops when it came to the new sponsor commercials debuting during FOX's broadcast of "The Great American Race."

The two drivers, friends on and off the track, scored top honors with the Chevy spot, "Infield," which was judged as the best by fans who visited the Daytona 500 Ad Showcase on NASCAR.COM. Chevy's winning commercial brings together Chevrolet, NASCAR, and Hip Hop in a mash up of cultures joining to celebrate the Chevy Impala SS coming to the sport.

Fans picked another Chevy spot, "Switcheroo," in which Earnhardt Jr. and the rap artist TI switch roles and meet in the garage, as their second favorite. Coca-Cola's stop-action ad showing the Coke family of drivers tearing across America to promote MyCokeRewards was third. Allstate's latest Kasey Kahne ad, "Flashback," in which the Allstate Girls cause more chaos, was fans' fourth favorite. The UPS commercial, "Imposter," in which Ned Jarrett impersonates his son Dale in an attempt to race the Big Brown Truck, rounded out the top five. (Continued)