If there weren’t enough reasons to be excited about the 2004 CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer, Purolator, maker of the official oil filter and air filter of BASS, has given fans a few more.
In advance of bass fishing’s world championship, which is slated for July 30-Aug. 1 in Charlotte, N.C., Purolator has been running a national campaign inviting fans to enter to win the Purolator boat and tow vehicle used by the top BASS pros for the final rounds of competition throughout the 2004 season of the CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail presented by Busch Beer.
Entry slips have been delivered by Purolator rebate offers in select auto parts stores and online. Classic visitors can sign up at the Purolator booth during the Classic ESPN Outdoors Expo in the Charlotte Convention Center. The offer ends on Aug. 14.
“We knew that a large segment of our ‘automotive do-it-yourselfer’ customer base follows pro fishing so we correctly anticipated that we’d be able to reach them through this sponsorship,” said Marlen Silverii, vice president, marketing and global business strategies, ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Aftermarket. “What surprised us, however, was how big and exciting the BASS tournaments are. We’ve had such fun getting to know the large and faithful group of BASS tournament participants and fans.”
The boat and the truck, valued at $66,500, will be awarded in Las Vegas the week of Nov. 1.
Another exciting program from Purolator is the Big Bass Fan Award. Fans attending the Classic will have the chance to sign up at the Purolator booth to be eligible for the $5,000 Big Bass Fan Award. Fans will enter to win one of 25 spots in a special section on the floor for the final weigh-in at the Classic. Those 25 fans will be paired with one of the 25 anglers fishing on the final day of competition. The fan whose angler brings in the Purolator Big Bass of the Day will win the $5,000 prize.
“Purolator awards prize money to the angler that catches the largest bass at every tournament, but hasn’t had the opportunity to get involved with the loyal fans on the same level,” Silverii said. “Since this is the Classic, and there will be thousands of fans at the event, we decided to get them in on the action.”
Purolator is a primary brand name of ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Aftermarket, a global automotive aftermarket group providing exhaust, filter, lift support and ride control products to its customers. In North America, ArvinMeritor LVA markets its products under the Arvin, Gabriel, Purolator, StrongArm and Supreme Performance brand names, as well as various private labels, to the full range of aftermarket customers including retailers, distributors and installers. ArvinMeritor LVA is headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., and is a division of ArvinMeritor Inc. Purolator’s primary manufacturing and distribution center is located in Fayetteville, N.C.
BASS is the world’s largest fishing organization, sanctioning more than 20,000 tournaments worldwide through its Federation. The CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail presented by Busch Beer, which includes the all-new Bassmaster Elite 50 series, is the oldest and most prestigious pro bass fishing tournament circuit and continues to set the standard for credibility, professionalism and sportsmanship as it has since 1968.
Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.
Local Sponsors include the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission, Visit Charlotte, the Auditorium-Coliseum-Convention Center Authority, the Rock Hill Sports and Tourism Council and Time Warner Cable.
Network Date/Day Time Content
ESPN2 7/30 FRI 7-8 PM Day 1 – Weigh-in
ESPN2 7/31 SAT 7-11:30 AM Day 2 – Tournament Updates
ESPN 7/31 SAT 12-1 PM Day 2 – Competition Coverage
ESPN/ESPN2 7/31 SAT 1-5 PM Day 2 – Competition Updates
ESPN 7/31 SAT 5:30-7 PM Day 2 – Weigh-in
ESPN 8/1 SUN 7-9 AM Day 3 – Competition Coverage
ESPN 8/1 SUN 9-11 AM Day 3 – Tournament Coverage Live Updates
ESPN 8/1 SUN 11 AM-1PM Day 3 – Competition Coverage
ESPN/ESPN2 8/1 SUN 1-5 PM Day 3 – Competition Updates
ESPN 8/1 SUN 5:30-7 PM Day 3 – Weigh-in
