After several days of silence from Team Kate Upton and the two drivers of the #76 Dallara IR-05, the official sponsorship deal for the last unannounced car of the infamous North-American racing team. A recent picture was sent to us from Team Kate Upton's publicity division, confirming that these are the final sponsors for the car. Drivers Nico Costa and Denny Cylon have also confirmed the veracity of this picture, further proving it is not a rumor. And at long last, the meaning behind the mysterious slogan chosen by the team to describe the car has been explained by the sponsorship deals for the #76; a partnership between a thief and a chain of Panda-themed restaurants?
The main sponsor of the car was set after a deal with Japanese manga author Megumi Tachikawa, as well as animation studio TMS Entertainment, for the use of Tachikawa's best known work; Kaitou Saint Tail. A 7-volume manga turned into a 43 episode anime between 1996 and 1996, Kaitou Saint Tail was once described as "Sailor Moon meets Saint Tail" by American company Tokyopop, when the manga and the anime were translated by the company in America. Of course, the chassis #2909 is adorned by main character, young 14-year-old Memi Haneoka, in her guise as the "female Robin Hood"; Saint Tail. Nico and Denny's main sponsors, Japanese media mogul Bandai Namco and American fast-food restaurant chain Panda Express respectively, round the list of sponsors for the #76. Painted in orange, the car also posseses a pink stripe, perhaps paying hommage to the outfit of Saint Tail, which has a skirt painted in two different tones of pink. The program for both drivers has also been confirmed; Cylon will drive in all oval races, while the Portuguese driver will follow suit by driving in all road tracks. While neither have a strong Indy Car experience, hopes are high for the Atlantic pair.
Nico Costa told our OTBS representative that "First of all, I must thank Miss Tachikawa for accepting our deal, despite the show's age being rather advanced. I am very happy to recreate my own personal childhood memories (
author's note: the show was broadcasted in Portugal under the Canal Panda channel), while keeping our main sponsors close. The Portuguese has also told us that "While I would've prefered a full-time program to hone my skills, my other commitments don't allow for that possibility. Therefore, I am very happy that TKU has provided me with a chance to run this series, even with a limited schedule."
As for North American Denny Cylon, we have not yet reached him for contact, but we will host an interview with the Oval driver of the #76 soon enough. So, keep an eye on this space...
