The Red Lobster March: A Perfect Marketing Vehicle

Sponsorship goes back to the early days of motorsports competition, when competitors painted a name or slapped a logo on the side of their race cars in exchange for a few bucks or services.

Red Lobster took sponsorship to a new level in 1983-85 IMSA GTP competition, when it painted up the No. 25 March 83G of Kenper Miller and David Cowart to resemble a huge lobster, complete with giant claws, a head, back, legs and tail. The iconic paint scheme on the car fielded by Jack Deren Automotive Racing Enterprises of Carbondale, Pa. was one of the first examples of engaging racing as a marketing platform. Race fans fondly remember it as one of the best.“When we did that paint scheme, we were told that we were probably the first to use the entire car’s shape as a logo, rather than painting logos on a car,” said Deren, who doubled as team manager and crew chief. “So it’s iconic.”Miller and Cowart’s association with Red Lobster goes back to 1980, when they painted a Red Lobster logo on the side of their BMW M1 for the 12 Hours of Sebring.When the team upgraded to the March 82G prototype for IMSA GTP competition for the 1982 Rolex 24 At Daytona, they added red stripes with blue trim, making the white car one of the most distinctive GTPs on the grid.For 1983, March upgraded to the 83G chassis. When Deren first saw the new car, one thought quickly came to mind.“I remember thinking that the two big front fenders stuck out like two giant lobster claws, and Dave Cowart agreed,” Deren recalled. “My wife Terri and I talked about getting more distinction to the car, and I feel it was some of my comments that led them to pursue it.”Red Lobster got an artist involved, who came up with the paint scheme that the team used to paint the car.“I painted that lobster about 16 times,” Deren said. “The first time it was done by the Red Lobster artist. They wanted me to take templates of it in case we needed to paint it again. I tried that, but it didn’t work out. After about the second paint job, I did it by hand – masked it off and sprayed it.”Miller and Cowart finished second at both Brainerd and Mosport with the car after it debuted midway through the 1983 season, in addition to fourths at Sonoma and the Daytona finale. They had podium finishes of second at Laguna Seca and Michigan and third at Riverside in 1984. With the dominance of the Porsche 962 and other prototypes, the March was no longer competitive in 1985. Miller and Cowart ran the car only three more times, with their best finish 10th at Miami.Miller – the brother of current TUDOR United SportsCar Championship team owner Paul Miller – went on to race in selected IMSA events and at Le Mans through 1997, finishing third at Le Mans in 1986 and driving a Mercury Capri for Jack Roush in the 1988 Rolex 24. Cowart competed in selected Camel Lights races through the 1989 Rolex 24.Meanwhile, the Red Lobster car lives on in vintage competition. It’s owned by an enthusiast in Denver – allowing sports car fans of all ages to enjoy seeing one of the most distinctive race cars of all time.