As a race car driver, Ed Brown is regarded as a new professional on the verge of a podium finish.

As a businessman, Ed is recognized as a highly-decorated champion of consumer motorsports marketing.
 

The CEO of The Patron Spirits Company, who recently relocated to Tampa, has found a way to accomplish both his personal and professional goals through an extensive, expanding sponsorship program in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron.

Brown will be among an international cast of drivers competing in the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh From Florida on Saturday at Sebring International Raceway. He will co-drive the No. 02 Tequila Patron Spirits Ferrari 430 GT with Guy Cosmo of West Palm Beach and Joao Barbosa of Portugal in the highly competitive GT2 class. Extreme Speed Motorsports of Jupiter will also field the No. 01 Tequila Patron Spirits Ferrari 430 GT driven by team owner Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Dominik Farnbacher.

Patron Spirits has become the largest sponsor in ALMS history, increasing its involvement dramatically this year with sponsorship of Extreme Speed Motorsports' new two-car team, and becoming a much needed presenting series sponsor. Also included in Patron's portfolio are the continuing sponsorship of the Patron Highcroft Racing No. 1 Honda Performance Development ARX-01c P2 prototype as well as title sponsorship of the Patron GT3 Challenge by Yokohama support series.

"Highcroft did an unbelievable job of putting a great car on the track and winning the (LMP1) championship last year," Brown says. "But there was still a bigger vision for me."

Add in at-track marketing programs like on-camera signage, hospitality and the Club Patron lounge, and you'll see Patron everywhere this weekend. Patron Spirits has a fully integrated motorsports marketing program designed to reach race fans, funded by the most profitable luxury spirits brand.

"We believe the consumer of the American Le Mans Series is a very upscale high income consumer and the Series fits perfectly with the high image of our company," Brown says. "The two brands work very well together, Ferrari too."

For the Series, Brown's desire to expand Patron's sponsorship role was warmly embraced.

"In an era when many motorsports organizations have seen reductions, sometimes significant, in corporate partner involvement, it is extremely gratifying to have a prestigious company and brand like Tequila Patron invest so heavily in our future," said ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton. "We have believed for a long time that our Series delivers a return on investment unmatched in motorsports and this is validation of that belief. The activation plan that Tequila Patron will deploy is certainly one that will get everyone who is involved in the Series excited."

Club Patron is a critical element of the plan. "It's great to have cars on track and have billboards up, but for the actual consumer at the race track it's greater to have the direct connection Club Patron gives us," says Brown. "We wanted to be able to show the consumer who might not be able to go to the parties we do all over the world something right here at the race track."

Limited to guests age 21 , Club Patron is an upscale spectator hospitality unit with a night club feel. It is unique among motorsports promotions.

Things will be a little different this year for Brown the driver.

"I've only been driving for about three years," he says. "From day one, Scott encouraged me to push myself, and now I'm learning a lot from Guy (Cosmo). Our expectations are very high."

Brown has a more personal reason for wanting to be on the podium Saturday night. His wife, Jene, has made a special request: all she wants as a present for their "we-met-at-Sebring-last-year" anniversary is a race trophy.

Jene is a native of Clearwater and was working as a fitness model at the 2009 Sebring race when she met Ed. They were married on New Year's Eve.

"I love living in Florida," Ed says. "I'm actually one of those people who like the humidity. Tampa is a great city and I enjoy it."

By EARL FANNIN
Highlands Today