Rutherford, NJ --- Autocon Motorsports and Tradema of America today announced the timepiece brand JEANRICHARD will be the team’s primary sponsor during the 12-race 2007 schedule that comprises the American Le Mans Series, the leading sports car racing platform in the world.

“Every year we’ve explored new ways to leverage our sponsorship programs, and Autocon always proves inventive and totally committed to helping us build the brand and drive sales,” explained Tradema of America President and Chief Executive Officer Ronald Jackson. “This coming year’s effort takes advantage of what’s worked best, and mixes in some new twists.”

A noticeable differentiator will be dressing the team’s assets in JEANRICHARD (www.jeanrichard.com) brand colors and imagery. In the past two years, the brand was positioned as an associate sponsor for Autocon (www.autoconmotorsports.com) and Miracle Motorsports. Autocon’s Lola EX257, its transporter and paddock area, driver and crew uniforms, web site and materials will be fitted with a look developed by ESBG Design.

“Applying the brand to a team in a comprehensive way will help make a connection between the brand and the fans who tend to follow their favorite cars and drivers,” said Team Owner and Driver Michael Lewis. “I can’t think of a better time (with the arrival of more big name teams to the series) than this coming year to become a visual fixture and fan favorite in the series.”

In addition to the team partnerships, for the past three years, JEANRICHARD has been the official timekeeper of the American Le Mans Series (www.americanlemans.com), and has generated excellent commercial media value through that arrangement.

“The best way to be involved is as an official series partner, and as the lead sponsor for a team. The combination provides national exposure through the vast media assets of the series, and connectivity with the emotions of the fans through the car and drivers,” added Jackson, who said an announcement about JEANRICHARD’s series involvement is due out soon.  

Driver Chris McMurry will wear the JEANRICHARD helmet he wore throughout the 2006 schedule, which makes 2007 the first year he hasn’t arrived at the season’s first race, the 12 Hours of Sebring, with a new look for his lid. The helmet’s dramatic, detailed graphic design depicts JEANRICHARD’s in-house manufactured watch movement know as the JR1000, which is the heart of the timepieces produced by the factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

“Ron and I have talked about tweaking the design a little, just to keep the streak of new helmet designs alive. But, we’ve also said to ourselves, ‘why mess with a good thing?’ After all, we led our first ALMS race ever as a team with that helmet, and managed a couple of podium finishes against the stiffest prototype competition in the world,” said McMurry, whose helmet was painted by leading motor sports graphic design firm Troy Lee Designs. Seven limited edition helmet replicas were produced and used as part of a watch sales promotion in 2006.

JEANRICHARD is an independent brand of the Sowind Group SA, which also owns and distributes Girard-Perregaux watches. The brand JEANRICHARD is focused on the true qualities of the mechanical movement as the main element of a watch. In short, the movement becomes the symbolic heart of the JEANRICHARD brand. The brands technical and creative competences allow this heart to beat soundly. JEANRICHARD has inherited a great name and has great respect for the Swiss watch-making values. Yet, with lots of originality and modernity, the brand imagines and elaborates small complications which reinvent how time is read. This is an audacious way to express one’s identity and independence. JEANRICHARD is distributed in North America by Tradema of America, a wholly owned subsidiary of the parent.