Catalunya, Spain: Tissot, official timekeeper of MotoGP, as well as one of the sponsors of successful American racer Nicky Hayden, presented the pole positions awards at this weekend's MotoGP in Catalunya, Spain. At every MotoGP race of the season, and there are 17, Tissot awards individually engraved watches to the winners of the pole position in all three classes - 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP - in qualifying the day before the actual MotoGP race begins. These watches become almost as coveted as the win in the race, as riders have started their own collections.
“My favourite watch is the Tissot I received for winning Laguna Seca,” says Nicky Hayden. “A nice incentive for me is that the faster I am, the more watches I can try to get for my collection.”


MotoGP rider, Valentino Rossi receives a Tissot timepiece from Bernie Schreiber, Tissot’s International Sponsorship Manager, for winning pole position

As the official timekeeper of MotoGP, Tissot provides the timekeeping system through Swiss Timing, a sister company in the Swatch Group. The system, which employs sensors imbedded in the track extracting information from the transponders placed on the bikes, provides real time information on speed, engine rpm, gear position, time and more. The teams participate in this system, giving the timers access to additional data from the bike and in turn get fed back real time statistics that were previously unavailable.

The timing and speed data, managed at the tracks by Dorna Sports, is fed back to the computers in the timing room, then automatically sent to the broadcasters, media centre and even to the web almost instantaneously. “The delay for the information on the website, www.motogp.com, is only two to three seconds,” says Jordi Sais, Timing and Data Processing Department Director for Dorna Sports. “We have to inform the audience and give the TV director the information and statistics he needs. We have back-up systems for everything because we have to be ready for anything. Two weekends ago at Mugello, in Italy, there was only one millisecond of a difference between the first three bikes. We have to be supremely accurate and precise.”


Jordi Sias, Director of Dorna’s Timing & Data Processing Department, in the timekeeping tower above the Catalunya racetrack

Tissot benefits from this emphasis on precision with its signage on the track, branding on TV whenever the timing is displayed, billboards around the track and Barcelona, as well as display materials in the local watch stores selling Tissot. “MotoGP is a perfect match for Tissot,” says Bernie Schreiber, International Sponsorship Manager for Tissot. “It's a global sport and we are a global brand. We needed a platform to communicate our technology, our sporting expertise and our passion. In addition, the sponsorship isn't just one event, it's a whole season. Every MotoGP race is televised globally. MotoGP gives us incredible visibility.”



Tissot makes MotoGP themed watches as well as a Limited Edition watch that comes in a helmet-shaped package, with interchangeable casebacks for the MotoGP watch. Each caseback has a different racetrack from the MotoGP circuit engraved on the back. Tissot will make 6002 of these special watches for 2006 and plans to make 7002 watches of next year's edition. Tissot also makes a Nicky Hayden Limited Edition MotoGP watch.


Tissot MotoGP Limited Edition

“We use Nicky Hayden as an ambassador,” Schreiber details. “We wanted someone to develop Tissot and MotoGP in the US. We are combining Nicky Hayden and Danica Patrick to promote Tissot in the US, as well as our sponsorship of NASCAR. In Europe, more people recognize the name Tissot than MotoGP, but in America, Tissot needs to build brand awareness.”


Nicky Hayden, MotoGP rider and Tissot Ambassador, on the grid before the Catalunya race

At the Catalunya MotoGP, Tissot Pole Position Award winner Valentino Rossi took first place, while Tissot sponsored racer Nicky Hayden placed second.

Source: Europa Star

www.tissot.ch
(please credit europastar.com)

www.motogp.com
(please credit europastar.com)