RETAIL / LEISURE : Clothestime Betting on Indy-Style Car to Win Races, Customers

To most people, auto racing conjures up images of screaming engines, tobacco-chewing pit crews dressed in greasy overalls and race courses plastered with advertisements for beer, motor oil and cigarettes.

It hardly seems like the medium to sell women’s fashion apparel.

But Clothestime, the women’s clothier based in Anaheim, is betting that its yellow-and-blue race car will not only win races but also the affections of its prime customer base of 15- to 40-year-old women.

The Clothestime car has already appeared in the Long Beach Grand Prix and is entered in 13 other races as part of the Indy Light Championship Series. Its driver is musician/songwriter/racer Rob Wilson. Sponsoring an Indianapolis 500-type car is an expensive proposition, but Clothestime isn’t saying just how expensive.

Despite its macho image, auto racing draws plenty of female fans, Clothestime officials say. Other manufacturers have sponsored cars to promote products that are primarily pitched to women, such as Tide detergent and Haines stockings, but Clothestime says it is the first women’s clothing retailer.

“In looking at the demographics of the audience that follows racing, we found approximately 46% are women,” said company Chairman John Ortega II. “We want to be the first in our industry to use this pioneering approach as a means of reaching our customers.”