TV ads becoming huge focus for sponsors (cont'd)

What does this tell us? First, it tells us that Chevy's ad agency is doing its job. Second, NASCAR fans like to have fun with their time away from the racing action. Third, it tells us that hip-hop and alternative forms of music are beating on the rear bumper of country music for NASCAR fans' adulation.

Overall, 30 new commercials were available for viewing on the site. More than 15 NASCAR drivers appeared in the spots -- an unprecedented level of participation of a sport's athletes in the advertising supporting a marquee event.

"Turner Interactive did a great job building and promoting the Daytona 500 Ad Showcase, including putting some of 2006's most memorable NASCAR spots on www.veryfunnyads.com, which generated more than one million views," said Paul Brooks, NASCAR senior vice president and president of NASCAR Digital Entertainment. "Across the board, NASCAR sponsors captured our drivers' star power and charisma in the ads. Looking ahead, as these companies create new campaigns, we will make the Ad Showcase even bigger for the 50th Anniversary of the Daytona 500 in 2008."

One of the neatest commercials surrounding Daytona was the top-secret Gillette Young Guns ad where Kasey Kahne ends up with Bozo the Clown's haircut after shaving various patterns in the 'dos of his fellow Young Guns. If you've seen the way Kurt Busch's hair looks (like something out of the Coneheads movie outtakes) and you didn't fall on the floor, you're not working hard enough.

Perhaps the funniest ad is from Sprint/Nextel, where Elliott Sadler wants to give Jimmie Johnson some advice. JJ grabs the walkie-talkie, quips, "I'm going to need it again," and watches as a crew member brings out the Nextel Cup. Sadler's expression is priceless.

The fact that we're talking about the commercials as much as we did about the finish of the Daytona 500 says a lot about how NASCAR racing is viewed from a business standpoint these days.

Chevrolet, which swept the top two spots in the fan voting, used NASCAR to re-ignite the passions of Americans for its cars. The Daytona 500 serves as the manufacturer's third pillar of its new campaign celebrating passion, fun and freedom.

And why not? The Daytona 500 telecast on FOX drew 33.7 million viewers, making it the fifth-highest 500 in terms of ratings and the second-best 500 on FOX.

We might not be to the point of logging millions of dollars for a 30-second spot, like the Super Bowl does, but we're getting closer every year.

Now, how can we get Ned Jarrett in the Big Brown Truck for Speedweeks 2008?