DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2008) – NASCAR fans have chosen Toyota’s new television commercial, in which kids wielding giant remote control devices wreak havoc on the Toyota drivers, as the best new ad of the season, according to votes cast on NASCAR.COM.

UPS’s heartwarming spot featuring Dale Jarrett racing the big brown truck and then hanging up the keys was voted the second best spot. Gillette’s new Young Guns commercial, in which drivers Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman body slam and generally abuse wrestling star John Cena, was ranked third best.

Fans were given the chance to view and vote for their favorite spots on NASCAR.COM during the third annual Daytona 500 Ad Showcase during the FOX broadcast of the Great American Race on Feb. 17. While the FOX broadcast drew 33.5 million viewers, fans also went online and generated hundreds of thousands of video views of the 2008 sponsor spots on NASCAR.COM.

Toyota’s hilarious new spot showcases the manufacturer’s newest drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing – Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin – as well as Tony’s crew chief Greg Zipadelli and veteran Toyota driver Michael Waltrip. After kids in the stands wielding large remote controls propel the Camry’s all over the track in all directions, Tony Stewart jumps from his car, is chased onto pit road, and guns his helmet at the kid-controlled car.

The winning commercial, part of the "Toyota Department of Fan Operations" campaign that puts fans closer to the racing action, was created by Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles.

“NASCAR sponsors again demonstrated why the Daytona 500 is one of the most creative and impactful ad showcases of any broadcast event,” said NASCAR CMO Steve Phelps. “For fans, the spots are fun to watch as their favorite drivers show their many talents outside the race car.”

Research shows NASCAR fans enjoy watching their favorite drivers appear in new commercials. During the 2007 Daytona 500, FOX Sports retained 95% of its audience during commercial breaks on average, which is better retention than even the ads appearing in the Super Bowl, according to Nielsen Media Research.

NASCAR official partners airing new campaigns on the Daytona 500 telecast included: Chevrolet, Gillette, Goodyear, Ritz, Sunoco, Sprint, The Home Depot, Toyota and UPS. Information on these campaigns is available upon request. Additionally, many team sponsors debuted new spots, featuring high-profile drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Michael Waltrip and Martin Truex Jr.