ALEXANDRIA, VA - Boat America Corp., which provides member services under contract to BoatU.S., has been purchased by National Indemnity, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Corp.

BoatU.S. and Boat America have been associated as one entity, but both have been legally distinct organizations. Boat America Corp. is the main supplier of towing, insurance and other services to the nonprofit boat owners' association, BoatUS, which has 650,000 members.

The acquisition did not include BoatU.S.

Berkshire Hathaway owns many companies, including Geico Insurance, Fruit of the Loom, HH Brown Shoe Group, NetJets and the Buffalo News.

"This (the acquisition of Boat America Corp.) will give us the ability to grow in the marine market that we haven't had before. Before this, all our growth has been generated internally.

Pro-Motion Motorsports Announces the AMA/Maxxis ATV EnduroCross

Los Angeles, CA (July 12, 2007) Pro-Motion Motorsports announced today that they will be producing the first ever indoor ATV EnduroCross officially known as the AMA/Maxxis ATV EnduroCross presented by Moose Racing, FMF Racing, Geico Insurance and Monster Energy Drink. This event will be held inside the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma on Sunday, October 7, 2007.

Created after the highly successful concept of the indoor motorcycle EnduroCross series, the AMA/Maxxis ATV EnduroCross will showcase both Sport and Utility ATVs along with a Side X Side demonstration class. Both Amateur and Expert classes will be available in the Sport and Utility divisions with a $10,000 purse split between the expert classes.

"This will be a whole new twist in racing ATVs," explained Lance Bryson, Director of Sales and Marketing for Pro-Motion Motorsports.

Taking a club to the 'Cavemen'

One of the most talked-about sitcoms of the upcoming season is ABC's "Cavemen," a half-hour social commentary based on the Geico insurance commercials that feature cavemen struggling for acceptance in a modern world.
A new pilot is being shot and one of the leads is being recast because the first pilot sent to critics was, well, what you'd expect from a half-hour comedy based on an insurance commercial about cavemen.
ABC President Stephen McPherson said "we made a mistake of trying to do too much" with the first pilot, which has the cavemen trying to fit in at an upper-class party.
I'd say they made a mistake turning this into a series.

Summer drama
Sick of the reality fare blanketing summer? ABC President Stephen McPherson said the network is considering putting more scripted programming - most likely a drama or two - in midyear after seeing other cable networks debuting their dramas there ("Damages," "Saving Grace," "Mad Men").

AMA/Maxxis National EnduroCross Series to Award AMA Championship ...

Los Angeles, CA (July 16, 2007) Pro-Motion Motorsports announced today that the AMA/Maxxis National EnduroCross Series, presented by Moose Racing, FMF Racing, Geico Insurance and Monster Energy Drink, will award an AMA Number One plate to each amateur class winner of the series.There will also be a Number One plate awarded to the top Expert rider in the series who will be crowned the National EnduroCross Champion.

The three race series starts in Denver on Saturday, September 29.

GEICO's Fraud Awareness Day, July 21

-(Business Wire)-July 17, 2007 - GEICO: -0- *T What: South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has declared the week of July 15 Insurance Fraud Week to make South Carolina residents aware of the issue affects their insurance rates. GEICO, along with South Carolina Insurance Fraud Investigators Association (SCIFI), will present a consumer safety and fraud awareness informational event. Concerns regarding insurance fraud and auto safety will be addressed by GEICO Special Investigations professionals, law enforcement officials, and prosecuting agencies. Where: Sparkleberry Square 10136 Two Notch Road Columbia, SC 29229 When: Saturday, July 21, 2007 10 a.m. Informational booths: Educational booths will provide information on the following topics: fraud schemes against senior citizens, identity theft, internet fraud, auto theft, vehicle cloning, street racing, and fraud rings.

Producers: ABC's 'Cavemen' pilot re-shot

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - The producers of ABC's new 'Cavemen' said Wednesday the comedy is much more than the insurance company commercials that inspired it, but isn't designed to be an ambitious allegory about race. Geico's TV spots show highly evolved but shaggy-looking cavemen chafing at misconceptions about their sophistication and intelligence. The series, debuting Oct. 2, follows another trio of Cro-Magnons facing prejudice as they try to fit in contemporary society. 'If the show works, it will work because people care about these three guys under a lot of makeup and ... can relate to their problems and find them charming,' producer Mike Schiff told the Television Critics Association's summer meeting. The pilot is being re-shot, ABC said. The network and producers said they decided it jumped ahead too far in the characters' lives and failed to establish them properly.