Andretti Green Racing's partnership with XM Satellite Radio has more to do than just talk shows and sponsorships. AGR used XM WX Weather for up-to-the-second intelligence during the rain-soaked Indy 500 as part of their arsenal of tech tools.

While other teams were relying on local weather forecasts to layout their strategies, AGR was using streaming real-time weather data delivered trackside to their team computers. The weather data is overlaid ontop of a GPS map, which then can be viewed in multiple formats. As a result, AGR can adjust downforce, tune the engine, adjust gear ratios, and plan a more informed tire strategy based of various weather data.

"With weather forecast to be a major factor in this year's Indy 500, we're happy to have XM Weather technology available as an additional strategic tool," said Kim Green, co-owner, Andretti Green Racing. "Racing is both science and art, and successful racing requires the absolute best combination of both."

And this same style of continuously updated weather info will soon be available to us everyday folks (in both GPS nav systems as well as in personal handheld form).

"XM is offering the first system that alerts you to real-time weather threats on the road ahead," said Stuart Cox, senior vice president, advanced applications, XM. "You're not just getting the temperature and the forecast for a city. You get the weather that will impact your specific journey, and this information is constantly being updated."

[WhoWon]
Thanks Matt!

Sirius Canada is building on Sirius' relationshpi with NASCAR and is now the official presenting sponsor of the 2007 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series starting May 26th.

Sirius will gain trademark and marketing rights as part of the partnership with Canadian Tire, allowing Sirius to be featured in a variety of high-profile television, print, in-store and online advertising. Sirius will also participate in the NASCAR Experience Road Show touring throughout Canada this summer where they'll introduce Canadians to all the excitement and racing action of NASCAR.

The inaugural season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series competition will kick off on Saturday, May 26th at Cayuga International Speedway, and includes races across 10 tracks throughout Canada, with the season-ending event on Sunday, Sept 23rd at Kawartha Speedway.

XM has inked a deal with FOX Sports to become the exclusive satellite radio network of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game and other BCS games, starting in January 2008.

The agreement means XM will be the only satellite radio provider for college football games like the Allstate BCS National Championship Game, Allstate Sugar Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the FedEx Orange Bowl.

This isn't the first time that XM and FOX Sports have signed deals over the BCS. Late last year, XM announced they would broadcast the 2007 BCS National Championship game, and then later extended their BCS college football coverage.

The new multi-year agreement now solidifies the partnership.

Thanks Donald! 

XM and General Motors have inked a deal to offer free satellite radio service in GM Certified Used Vehicles, Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, and Hummer Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles.

All GM Certified Used Vehicles (which includes Chevys, Pontiacs, etc), as well as Cadillac and Hummer Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles equipped with XM Radio will be available with a 3-month trial of XM service and a waived activation fee. You can find a list of Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Oldsmobile, Cadillac and Hummer vehicles with XM factory-installed here.

GM is the nation's largest automaker and the industry leader in manufacturer-certified used vehicle sales, representing nearly one-third of the volume of all certified used vehicles sold in the States.

Now with this deal, XM will be available in more than 115,000 of these certified GM vehicles in 2007, and grow to more than 168,000 vehicles in 2008.

XM, in partnership with Starbucks Entertainment and Concord Music Group, will release a compilation CD featuring music from XM’s popular blues channel on May 15th.

Appropriately named after the channel itself, the Bluesville CD will feature songs from blues greats Willie Dixon and Memphis Slim, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Sonny Terry, Odetta, Roosevelt Sykes, Mildred Anderson, Furry Lewis and many other artists heard on XM Bluesville (ch 74).

The CD will give listeners a flavor for the music heard 24-hours a day on XM’s Bluesville channel.

The Bluesville disc will be available exclusively at Starbucks locations ($13.95 in the U.S. and $16.95 in Canada) and on the Hear Music website starting on May 15th.

"This disc offers customers yet another opportunity to experience the depth of music presented on XM," said Lee Abrams, chief creative officer, XM Satellite Radio.

View the complete track listing after the jump...

Zipcar and XM apparently are parting ways, according to a mailing sent out to customers recently. The car sharing service started offering XM in their vehicles just over two years ago, which makes the reason for the break-up even more suspect. UPDATE: See below for the real reason.

Zipcar is blaming... of all things... the proposed merger between Sirius and XM as the reason they're dropping the service.

Forget that the merger is far from certain, Zipcar still felt it necessary to "break ties with XM while things get sorted out in the satellite radio industry." As Ryan Block notes, this is a a huge loss for Zipcar customers.

Personally, I call Bravo Sierra on their reason. I suspect that Zipcar and XM just couldn't come to terms with the renewal agreement, and they're trying to blame it on merger uncertainty instead.

UPDATE: I was just contacted by an XM spokesperson to clarify the reason why Zipcar and XM have ended their relationship. It was in fact XM who decided to end the partnership with Zipcar. I don't the exact reason why they decided to end their partnership, but was assured the break-up was a completely amicable one and it was not because of the proposed merger.

(Zipcar's communications with customers tend to be fun, lighthearted and witty - so this likely was just one that went a little further than it was supposed to. That's my take.) 

 

Read the full letter to Zipcar customers after the jump...