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The Linux Penguin Logo “Tux” has been stuck to the nose of the Panoz/Honda in anticipation of meeting a donation goal. The Tux 500 is an effort to raise $350,000USD in exchange for a Primary Sponsorship + Team Linux name for the upcoming May 27th, 2007 Indy 500 race. As long as their efforts secure $25,000USD, the logos will stay on the car.

If less than 1% of the Linux community donates $1, this will happen!!

So ‘buck’ up and lets get that Penguin roaring!!

What your donations will buy:
$25K-$50K USD: Minor Associate Sponsor: logo appears on the car
$50K-$100K USD: Associate Sponsor: larger logo appears on the car
$125K-$300K USD: Major Associate Sponsor: large logo on car’s engine cover
$350K-$600K USD: Primary Sponsor: logo on sidepod, team name contains “Team Linux”

Prizes for Top Contributors:
The top contributor will be a member of the Pit Crew on Race Day
Two random contributors will get a ride in a two-seater Indy Car
The second highest contributor will get a Linux server or notebook
The third highest contributor will get a video iPod

[Source: Wired.com, Tux500.com, PetersMotorsports.com]

I’ll just say up front, I’m a TV junkie. I love TV. I love TV almost as much as I love cars, and when the two meet in a proper fashion, let’s just say I’m impressed. Last night I was watching the debut of Ray Liotta’s new show, “Smith,” and two cars caught my eye in one of the best shows I’ve seen so far this year.

Liotta’s character, Bobby, is living a double life. He appears to be a devoted family man with a wife, two kids and a job selling promotional products. This Bobby drives a tan Ford Five Hundred, possibly the most sedate, unassuming car someone could purchase. When the other Bobby gets ready to do some crime as the leader of a gang of professional thieves, he heads to his safe house, picks out wads of cash, new IDs and credit cards, and rolls out of the garage in a hot $100,000+ Aston Martin V8 Vantage sports car.

It might surprise some of our readers that Ford actually has an office in Hollywood that makes deals with TV studios to get these cars driven by characters. Remember Eva Longoria’s “Desperate Housewives” character moving up from a Jaguar to an Aston Martin last year? Yep, that was Ford.

In the glory days of TV, the car was used predominantly, often becoming as much of a star as some of the actors. What’s more iconic: Thomas Magnum’s red Ferrari or his sidekick, Rick? Michael Knight’s black Trans Am K.I.T.T. or Bonnie the mechanic? Of course, back then the writers decided on the cars; there was no promotional deal being made so car companies could stem lost commercial-watching due to TiVo.

“Smith” actually did a good job of using the two cars to illustrate the character’s two sides, though I frowned on the use of a brand new Cadillac Escalade as a getaway car that the crew dumped after just a short ride. Using a luxury SUV just for a few minutes didn’t make much sense. As long as the show makes good use of the cars they’re promoting with Ford, I don’t see these partnerships as a big deal, and like last night I applaud it. Let’s just hope later in the season Bobby doesn’t stuff a body into the Five Hundred and comment on the trunk space.

As for Ford, you’ll see a lot of its vehicles strategically placed in “24,” "Brothers and Sisters,” “Desperate Housewives” and of course “Smith” throughout the year. GM and Chrysler also play the game but don’t have offices in Hollywood. I’m hoping some current car somewhere becomes as cool as Magnum’s Ferrari or K.I.T.T., but I doubt it.

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