NASCAR Official Sponsor News
  • Checkers/Rally's no longer official burger of NASCAR: Checkers/Rally's has been released from its position as the official burger of NASCAR, creating an opening in the quick-service restaurant category. NASCAR called the separation a mutual decision. Checkers/Rally's, based in Tampa, also has exited its sponsorships of the Indianapolis 500, Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. All of the motorsports deals were scheduled to run through the 2009 season. Checkers/Rally's confirmed the end of the sponsorships, but its chief marketing officer, Terri Snyder, could not be reached for comment. NASCAR now has turned its attention to filling the QSR category. Brian Corcoran, managing director of corporate marketing in NASCAR's New York office, is spearheading the effort to find a brand with a national footprint. (Sports Business Daily/SceneDaily.com)(4-24-2008) Comment here

  • NASCAR Sued for Contract Breach: NASCAR was sued by a maker of automotive wet wipes for breach of a license agreement. Sellars Absorbent Materials Inc., a manufacturer of automotive car products, said NASCAR refused to approve packaging and marketing materials in connection with its automotive disposable wet wipes. The company paid NASCAR $1.5 million for the exclusive right to use the NASCAR logo to market its products, including wipes that will protect the surface and interior of cars, according to a lawsuit filed April 11 in federal court in Orlando, Florida. NASCAR contends that Sellars can't market the wipes as a protectant due to an exclusive license agreement it has with 3M for "protectants," according to the complaint. Sellars alleges that NASCAR granted it the exclusive right to use its logo for the wipes and is now attempting to "retroactively limit the scope of the license rights." "Although Nascar identified certain limitations and exceptions in the license agreement and amendments," Sellars said in court papers. "NASCAR did not create an exception for 'protectants.'"(Bloomberg News)(4-18-2008)

  • Two Official Sponsors not returning: Callaway and NewPage say they will not renew their contracts as official sponsors of NASCAR when their contracts run out at the end of this year, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Daily reports. Callaway is the official golf club of NASCAR, while another Callaway brand, Top-Flite, is the official golf ball. NewPage is NASCAR's paper of choice. The story says Callaway has expressed interest in continuing to work with NASCAR on golf outings for sponsors and other partners.(SceneDaily.com)(12-15-2007)

  • Coke/NASCAR sponsorship deal to last another 10 years: Coca-Cola is extending its marketing partnership with NASCAR for another decade, an arrangement that promotes the world's largest beverage company and its products to a U.S. fan base of 75 million people and millions more worldwide. The extension of the Coke-NASCAR relationship follows the announcement earlier this year of a new 10-year sponsorship agreement with the International Speedway Corporation, which meant Atlanta-based Coke bumped Pepsi out of the prestigious Daytona 500 and other ISC tracks. NASCAR spokesman Steve Phelps said most NASCAR sponsorships "average around 5 years," putting the latest move between Coke and the racing franchise — it runs through 2017 — in a unique category.(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(12-7-2007)

  • NASCAR in talks with JetBlue: NASCAR chief marketing officer Steve Phelps has been talking sponsor consolidation for the past year, but that might change if NASCAR can expand into previously untapped areas. The airline category has been a difficult sell for NASCAR, but officials have been in discussions with JetBlue Airways about a partnership. The New York-based low-cost carrier offers 500 flights per day and provides 36 channels of DirecTV programming on its flights. DirecTV has been NASCAR's official satellite television provider since 2005. Footwear is another category that remains unmined and could hold some potential, whether it's Starter, which is owned by Nike and has a new shoe and apparel deal with Joe Gibbs Racing, or Puma, a brand that's commonly seen in the garage area. Expect NASCAR to also start pitching national real-estate companies, such as Century 21 and Re/Max, sources said.(Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)(2-24-2007)

  • UPS extends with NASCAR: UPS announced it had signed a new five-year agreement with NASCAR to continue as the official express delivery company of the sport through the 2011 racing season. The exclusive “Official Delivery Company” partnership extends a highly successful union dating back to UPS’s initial entry into the sport in 2000. As part of the deal, UPS will continue providing its popular Trackside Services to the industry at all Nextel Cup Series races as well as logistics, freight and supply chain services. Today, UPS serves as the delivery company to approximately 99% of the more than 1,000 NASCAR family businesses, race teams, race tracks, NASCAR business units, other NASCAR sponsors and suppliers. That represents a 55% increase in racing customers since UPS entered the sport. UPS’s decision to extend its relationship with NASCAR follows the company’s decision in 2006 to move its team sponsorship with Dale Jarrett to the new #44 Toyota Camry, which debuts at the Daytona 500 on February 18. UPS maintains six individual track sponsorships, including Bristol Motor Speedway, California Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway. UPS also has been an active supporter of NASCAR’s diversity efforts to embrace the expanding demographics of its fan base. In November, the company contributed $100,000 to five minority students at the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C. The scholarships cover all school expenses except room and board for qualified minority students attending the institute. To date, UPS has provided $600,000 in scholarships to the program. For more information, log onto www.racing.ups.com.(PR)(2-16-2007)

  • NASCAR looking for $30 million from new 'Busch' Series sponsor: NASCAR is seeking approximately $30 million annually to sponsor its second series, multiple sources close to ongoing negotiations told
    ESPN.com on Monday. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that is roughly twice the annual investment Anheuser-Busch forked out to sponsor the series with its Busch brand for the past several years. Sources say there is no clear front-runner at this point, but did admit that previously-speculated suitors Subway, Samsung and Wal-Mart are accurate. Sources also said Dunkin Donuts is a player, and that NASCAR met with Allstate last week. One key issue, though, is potential conflicts with existing sponsors. Sources said NASCAR went through all sponsors that would present conflicts with NASCAR's official partners, the race teams and tracks -- which is where Allstate presents an issue; all six Speedway Motorsports tracks are sponsored by Nationwide -- and created a short list before approaching existing partners to gauge interest. One source said the best-case scenario is to close the deal within the next three months. Asked for worst case, the source said "it doesn't sell." Asked for comment on the matter, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston didn't deny the accuracy of the speculation and did say there is plenty of interest from corporate America. "I can confirm that there has been great interest from a number of multinational companies that are interested in this sponsorship," Poston said. "The entitlement would provide the eventual sponsor over $100 million annually in brand exposure, and that, along with the partnership with ESPN2, makes this a very desirable position in sports."(ESPN.com)(1-30-2007)

  • Gillette Young Guns team to get new driver: To kick off the 2007 Nextel Cup Series season, the Gillette Young Guns are inviting race fans to visit GilletteYoungGuns.com for a chance to guess who will be the newest member of the team. From now until February 18, consumers can visit the Web site to correctly predict the new Gillette Young Gun driver. Each correct selection registers fans for the opportunity to win the grand prize package - a Phantom race car, a trip for two to a 2007 Nextel Cup Series race and the chance to meet the new Gillette Young Guns driver. The newest member of the team will be revealed prior to the Daytona 500 and will officially join the Gillette Young Guns team of drivers - Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson. The drivers listed are: #5-Kyle Busch, #11-Denny Hamlin, #9-Kasey Kahne and #1-Martin Truex, Jr. (Alan Taylor Communications PR), Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the driver out.(1-23-2007)

  • JEGS enters contingency program with NASCAR; will sponsor 60 local tracks: Just days after announcing its sponsorship of veteran NASCAR racer #78-Kenny Wallace, JEGS Mail Order has unveiled a comprehensive contingency program for the country's most popular form of auto racing. The Delaware, Ohio-based, high-performance parts company will also sponsor 60 local NASCAR-sanctioned racetracks across the country. Beginning in 2007, NEXTEL Cup teams displaying a JEGS sticker on their cars will be eligible for contingency money depending on where they finish on the 43-car grid. Each race winner will receive contingency as will other drivers finishing in random positions in the final order.(The Auto Channel)(12-16-2006)

  • BAC and NASCAR sign 5-year deal: Bank of America Corp. has signed a five-year deal as the official bank of NASCAR. The bank shared details of the agreement with The Associated Press before the public announcement Monday. The multiyear deal greatly expands Bank of America's sponsorship of stock car racing, while also marking a change in how NASCAR lines up sponsors. NASCAR has begun to reduce its sponsor base by consolidating deals and seeking opportunities to cover entire industries in one deal. Bank of America already has an "official bank" deal in place with baseball, long known as the national pastime. Now, the nation's No. 2 bank adds a similar deal with a sport widely viewed as the nation's fastest-growing. A person familiar with the agreement put the overall value of the five-year deal between $15 million and $20 million. Under the deal, Bank of America will be NASCAR's exclusive sponsor for banking and related financial services, including checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, mutual funds and securities brokerage services. The company gets the right to use the NASCAR logo and name in marketing and advertising promotions through 2011.(Associated Press)(11-27-2006)

  • Goody's out, Tylenol in..with NASCAR: Goody's Headache Powders, a staple in NASCAR since 1977, will be replaced by Tylenol next season as the sport's official pain reliever. It's yet another break the stock car racing series is making from its longtime, but regional, partners. Goody's plans to stay involved with Petty Enterprises and continue its relationship with Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, where Goody's sponsored a Busch Series race this season. The agreement also provides promotional opportunities around all the NASCAR tracks and gives Tylenol exclusive-rights deals with the International Speedway Corporation and Dover International Speedway.(Associated Press)(11-17-2006)

  • NASCAR sponsorships set off liquor industry spat: Pernod Ricard has said it will pull out of an industry-funded responsible-drinking organization in a dispute over the group's support of liquor sponsorships in auto racing. In a letter sent to the Century Council and obtained by MarketWatch, the France-based spirits maker resigned its membership, although its departure won't be effective until November. While that could give them time to work out some kind of compromise, the missive from Alain Barbet, the company's U.S. president, put the issue in fairly stark relief: "We at Pernod Ricard firmly believe that is inappropriate for the distilled spirits industry to engage in sponsorship of motor sports," he wrote. "We also believe strongly that any involvement of the Century Council in these sponsorship activities runs the risk of damaging [its] well-earned credibility . . . and undermining its message of responsibility."(full story at MarketWatch.com)(11-10-2006)

  • Fuel Cell Update; 17 gallons in 2007: Drivers say that they don't need the smaller, 14-gallon fuel cell for the races later this month at Lowe's Motor Speedway. NASCAR mandated the smaller fuel cell instead of the regular 22-gallon cell because of concerns about tires on the new surface. A smaller fuel cell will lead to more pit stops and more chances to change tires. This week's test showed the tires are durable enough that they should last what would be a regular fuel run with the larger fuel cell. John Darby, Nextel Cup series director, said more information is needed before deciding to change back to the larger fuel cell. "Until you go through that 600 miles, you don't know what's going to happen," Darby said. Darby said that next year, the fuel cells will be 17 gallons.(Roanoke Times)(5-6-2006)

  • Gillette Prostate Cancer Challenge: Gillette announced the launch of the Gillette Prostate Cancer Challenge, a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the risks, symptoms and benefits of early detection of prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men. Gillette is teaming with the National Prostate Cancer Coalition (NPCC) Foundation and sports partners Major League Baseball and six NASCAR drivers - The Gillette Young Guns, to educate men about the risks related to prostate cancer, the fastest-growing men's health issue today. Men can participate in the Gillette Prostate Cancer Challenge by logging on to www.gillettepcc.org, and taking the important steps of knowing their risks, talking to their doctor and telling their friends. The Challenge will begin with events surrounding this week's Daytona 500, when Gillette Young Gun Ryan Newman will serve as spokesman for the NASCAR portion of the program. Newman also will be featured in a Public Service Announcement (PSA). This year, Gillette and the NPCC will have screening vans present at major events throughout the country. The vans will provide free prostate cancer screenings, as well as information on topics such as prevention strategies, diagnostics and symptoms of the disease. For more information about the NPCC, visit pcacoalition.org.(Alan Taylor Communications)(2-19-2006)

  • Checkers Expands Role with NASCAR Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, the nation's largest chain of double drive-thru restaurants and the Official Drive-Thru Restaurant of NASCAR, announced that it is expanding its popular Double Drive-Thru Challenge Contingency program from the NEXTEL Cup Series to include the Busch and Craftsman Truck Series as well. Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge focuses on the team element of the race that is integral to successful performances each week. To win, teams were required to finish on the lead lap while spending the least amount of time in pit lane. For details on the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge, visit checkers.com.(Yahoo Biz)(1-26-2006)

  • Budweiser gets the most in-broadcast TV exposure value: The streak continues. For the 21st consecutive season, the primary team sponsor of the NASCAR Cup Series champion (The Home Depot/Tony Stewart) did not earn the most in-broadcast exposure value for the season. The 2005 team sponsor top-five ranked as follows: Budweiser ($149.0 million), Lowe's ($140.2 million), The Home Depot ($125.0 million), NAPA Auto Parts ($105.5 million) and DuPont ($84.7 million). The hood of a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series car is some of the most valuable real estate in all of sports. The following is the top-3 of the top hoods in terms of generating on-screen time during the race telecasts: 1) Lowe's/#48-Johnson, 7:16:32; 22.0%; 2) DuPont/#24-Gordon, 5:40:24 (exposure time), 28.3% (% of Brand's Exp); 3) The Home Depot/#20-Stewart, 5:39:27; 19.7%.(Joyce Julius PR)(12-23-2005)

  • Domino's stay with NASCAR: Domino's Pizza, the Official Pizza of NASCAR, announced it will extend its partnership with the NASCAR. "We continue to be a proud sponsor of NASCAR, and feel our brand has been enhanced by this partnership," says David A. Brandon, chairman and CEO of Domino's Pizza. "As the number one choice for pizza among NASCAR fans, we feel we have been rewarded for our connection to this exciting sport." By focusing its marketing and advertising efforts on promoting Race Day is Domino's Pizza Day, Domino's has increased sales consistently across the country on race days by promoting the Race Day 555 Deal. When NASCAR fans are preparing to watch a race, ordering pizza from Domino's is becoming part of their race day ritual. The road ahead is promising. Domino's Pizza is the title sponsor of the upcoming Domino's Pizza 250 NASCAR Busch Series race on August 20 at Michigan International Speedway, and the primary sponsor of driver Michael Waltrip's #99 Domino's Pizza car [for that race].(Dominos.com)(8-11-2005)

  • Life Insurance of NASCAR: Allstate Insurance Co. is preparing to sign a multiyear, multimillion-dollar sponsorship to become the life insurance sponsor of NASCAR, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reports. Unidentified sources told reporter Scott Warfield that Allstate will "likely pay a minimum of $2 million a year, with a contract requirement for an additional investment at the team or track level."(NASCAR Scene)(3-1-2005)

  • Safety-Kleen signs up with NASCAR: Safety-Kleen Systems Inc., a Plano supplier of parts cleaning and oil refining services, has signed a two-year sponsorship deal with NASCAR. The exact amount that Safety-Kleen will pay NASCAR was not disclosed, but NASCAR officials say it's "a seven-figure deal." Under the deal, Safety-Kleen will use the NASCAR name and sponsorship logo on uniforms worn by about 1,300 of its customer service representatives, who clean auto parts and dispose of industrial and hazardous waste. NASCAR branding also will appear on the sides of some 200 new trucks that Safety-Kleen will use on its routes. The company also has tentative plans to retrofit its existing fleet of 1,800 route trucks with the NASCAR mark. Meanwhile, NASCAR will play a prominent role in Safety-Kleen's print ads and other marketing, especially to repair shops and service departments of auto dealerships. The company has more than 200,000 customers, all of whom do repairs on cars and trucks. In addition, the company will put a NASCAR "performance mark" on its mechanical parts cleaning equipment. Safety-Kleen also is the exclusive provider of environmental services to about 40 racing teams on various circuits, including 20 in NASCAR.(Dallas Business Journal)(2-22-2005)

  • Wal-Mart teams up with NASCAR: NASCAR announced "NASCAR Comes to Wal-Mart," a major event at more than 1,100 Wal-Mart stores to draw attention to the start of the 2005 NASCAR season. The promotion will roll into 43 NASCAR race markets throughout the 10-month 2005 NASCAR season.
    To kick off the NASCAR season, more than 1,100 Wal-Mart stores within 50 miles of 36 race markets in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and seven markets in the NASCAR Busch Series will participate in the NASCAR promotion. Wal-Mart stores will feature NASCAR-themed point-of-sale displays for partners such as Duracell, Gillette, Jack Link's, Ice Breakers and Kodak in the NASCAR promotion. The NASCAR Fan Guide will feature NASCAR highlights and milestones, team rosters, the 2005 NASCAR schedules, and shopping lists of items that fans can purchase enhance their racing experience. More than one million NASCAR Fan Guides were developed exclusively for the promotion.
    More than 500 Wal-Mart stores will also feature NASCAR-themed "retailtainment" activities. For example, fans can test their knowledge of the sport in the "NASCAR Comes to Wal-Mart Match Game" — a trivia game tied to visiting NASCAR sponsor displays at Wal-Mart. More than 100 of these stores will feature parking lot sponsor fan fests that will provide an array of fun activities for NASCAR fans and customers. Sponsors featured in the "retailtainment" portion of the promotion include: Coca-Cola, M&M, Kingsford, Pedigree and Kellogg. Fans can enjoy the Coca-Cola wall of Speed, riding in a Kellogg's race car simulator, or getting up close to their favorite sponsor show cars.
    Additionally, starting February 1 through mi-March, Wal-Mart will be the exclusive retailer of the new DVD, NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience from Warner Home Video. The IMAX DVD provides an insider's perspective of NASCAR racing and was the second-highest grossing film documentary of 2004. Wal-Mart currently offers more than 250 NASCAR sponsor products, making it the largest seller of NASCAR licensee and sponsor products in the country.(retail-merchandiser.com)(2-8-2005)

  • Checkers in...McDonalds out: Checkers Drive-In Restaurants will take over next year as a fast-food sponsor for NASCAR, replacing longtime corporate partner McDonald's Corp., the Sports Business Daily reported Tuesday. The Tampa-based chain, which has more than 400 locations primarily in the Southeast, will join deli sandwich chain Subway in replacing McDonald's, which has been connected with NASCAR since 1993. Checkers is relatively small compared with the Golden Arches, yet its Southern roots match those of the stock-car racing league. The company's sister chain, Rally's (with another 389 restaurants, mostly in the Midwest), will likely also gain NASCAR rights. Checkers previously signed racing sponsorship deals making it the "official burger" of both the Brickyard 400 and Indianapolis 500. It also has sponsorships with professional and college sports teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, University of Florida and Florida State University. McDonald's will remain connected with NASCAR in a different capacity. It will continue to leverage the sport with a soon-to-be-assembled collection of teams, tracks and drivers. "We are definitely not leaving the sport," a McDonald's insider told the Sports Business Daily. "We'll just be using different assets."(Tampa Bay Business Journal)(12-8-2004)

  • Official Tax Service of NASCAR: Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. today announced a three-year sponsorship with NASCAR, in which Jackson Hewitt Tax Service will be known as "The Tax Service of NASCAR." Jackson Hewitt's motorsports marketing strategy also includes an endorsement sponsorship of three NASCAR NEXTEL Series drivers - Greg Biffle, #16 Ford, recent winner of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Ford 400 at Homestead - Miami Speedway; Michael Waltrip, #99 Chevrolet [Busch Series], two-time Daytona Champion; and Kasey Kahne, #9 Dodge, 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Rookie of the Year. These sponsorships, which were brokered by motorsports marketing agency, Just Marketing, will run through the 2007 tax season, and will also feature promotional offerings, guest appearances and use of the NASCAR trademark in marketing communications. The Jackson Hewitt Tax Service promotion for NASCAR fans will run from January 3, 2005 through April 30, 2005, and will provide customers with free NASCAR gear and a money-saving coupon. The coupon, which will be available on jacksonhewitt.com/racinggear, entitles customers to discounted tax preparation services at any of the over 4,900 Jackson Hewitt Tax Service locations nationwide. After redemption of the coupon, customers will be sent a free, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule T-shirt and a race day cooler, featuring images of Greg Biffle, Michael Waltrip and Kasey Kahne. Jackson Hewitt entered the world of NASCAR last year with its sponsorship of the Roush Racing #16 National Guard/Subway Ford Taurus car and its driver, Greg Biffle. More information about the Company may be obtained by visiting the Company's Web site at www.jacksonhewitt.com.(PRNewswire/Arizona Racing Times)(12-1-2004)

  • NASCAR Approves Hard Liquor as a sponsor in 2005: After conducting an extended review of its sponsorship policies and researching trends in consumer attitudes, NASCAR announced that distilled spirits products are now a new category for sponsorship in the sport beginning in the 2005 season. "We felt the time was right to allow distilled spirits companies into NASCAR," said Mike Helton, President of NASCAR. "Attitudes have changed, and spirits companies have a long record of responsible advertising. Any spirits company involved in NASCAR will have marketing campaigns strongly grounded in responsibility and will follow advertising and marketing guidelines set by NASCAR that are consistent with the Distilled Spirits Council's advertising code. Spirits companies are recognized as leaders in responsibility and are encouraging adults who choose to drink, to do so responsibly. We are confident that the spirits companies entering our sport will come to apply that same level of responsibility to their involvement in NASCAR, and will communicate the same responsible marketing and messages that beer companies have exhibited in the sport for the past 25 years," Helton said. "Additionally, this will provide numerous new sponsorship opportunities to our teams. While the NASCAR industry will benefit across the board, teams will be the primary beneficiaries of this decision in a way that promotes a responsible drinking message consistent with the practices in other motorsports."
    NASCAR's internal review included outreach to advocacy groups such as the National Commission Against Drunk Driving and other experts in the field of alcohol-related issues. Additionally, NASCAR reached out to industry groups such as the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) and The Century Council. NASCAR based its guidelines on the input received from these groups. The distilled spirits companies participating in NASCAR must agree to comply with the Distilled Spirits Council's "Code of Responsible Practices for Beverage Alcohol Advertising and Marketing" and abide by the Code Review Board's decisions. Each company's marketing activities will be grounded in a responsible behavior message. A dedicated portion of advertising by spirits companies in NASCAR will be solely focused on encouraging responsible drinking decisions, with all remaining advertising including a responsible behavior tag.(NASCAR PR(11-10-2004)

  • Still waiting a yes or no on hard liquor UPDATE 3 Yes is Official: There is still no official word from NASCAR executives about lifting the ban on hard liquor sponsorships on Nextel Cup cars, but an announcement is expected shortly, to come with Richard Childress' expected announcement of Jack Daniel's as a sponsor, apparently to replace AOL [or does it go to #7-Robby Gordon?]. NASCAR's announcement could open the door for Smirnoff to put its vodka brand on Matt Kenseth's car, replacing Smirnoff Ice [which moves to the #97 in 205], and for #99-Carl Edwards to get a Crown Royal-Diageo sponsorship, too.(Winston Salem Journal)
    AND NASCAR officials are expected to announce this week that they will lift their long-standing ban on hard liquor sponsorships for next season. Several teams are hoping to court hard liquor companies, including Roush Racing and Richard Childress Racing. Under NASCAR's current rules, teams are allowed to advertise beer and so-called "malt beverages" such as Smirnoff Ice.(USA Today)(11-8-2004)
    UPDATE: NASCAR officials are expected to announce this week that they will lift their longstanding ban on hard-liquor sponsorships for next season. The move could bring an influx of sponsorship money. Several Nextel Cup teams -- Roush Racing and Richard Childress Racing among them -- are primed to sign deals with hard-liquor companies, including Diageo and Jack Daniels.(Chicago Tribune Wires)(11-9-2004)
    UPDATE Yes..but too late for the #99?: NASCAR officials e-mailed a bulletin to team executives Tuesday afternoon advising them that a longstanding ban on hard-liquor advertising will be lifted for next season. By removing the ban, officials could create a sponsorship windfall for a couple of racing teams that have been courting liquor companies in recent months. NASCAR president Mike Helton will make the formal announcement Wednesday. NASCAR is not expected to name an official hard-liquor brand, but teams and tracks will be allowed to advertise hard-liquor products — as long as the advertising programs include a commitment to promoting responsible drinking. Roush Racing president Geoff Smith called the announcement "a victory for all the teams" but said he was disappointed that officials didn't lift the ban several months ago. Smith has spent much of this year vigorously lobbying NASCAR officials to allow liquor advertising. Smith was hoping to sign a brand from liquor manufacturer Diageo as the primary sponsor for up-and-coming driver #99-Carl Edwards next season. But because the ban was lifted so late in the year, Smith says the company can only commit to a reduced role as an associate sponsor for driver #97-Kurt Busch. Richard Childress Racing also is pursuing a liquor company to sponsor its No. 30 car for next season.(USA Today), would expect some team announcements within the next 10 days ago on sponsorship with these type companies, like RCR and Roush.(11-10-2004)
    NASCAR Announcement: on Wednesday morning, November 10th, 2004, NASCAR is scheduled to make an announcment about Sponsorship - hard liquor? looks like it...(11-10-2004)
    UPDATE - OFFICIAL: After conducting an extended review of its sponsorship policies and researching trends in consumer attitudes, NASCAR announced that distilled spirits products are now a new category for sponsorship in the sport beginning in the 2005 season. "We felt the time was right to allow distilled spirits companies into NASCAR," said Mike Helton, President of NASCAR. "Attitudes have changed, and spirits companies have a long record of responsible advertising. Any spirits company involved in NASCAR will have marketing campaigns strongly grounded in responsibility and will follow advertising and marketing guidelines set by NASCAR that are consistent with the Distilled Spirits Council's advertising code. Spirits companies are recognized as leaders in responsibility and are encouraging adults who choose to drink, to do so responsibly. We are confident that the spirits companies entering our sport will come to apply that same level of responsibility to their involvement in NASCAR, and will communicate the same responsible marketing and messages that beer companies have exhibited in the sport for the past 25 years," Helton said. "Additionally, this will provide numerous new sponsorship opportunities to our teams. While the NASCAR industry will benefit across the board, teams will be the primary beneficiaries of this decision in a way that promotes a responsible drinking message consistent with the practices in other motorsports."
    NASCAR's internal review included outreach to advocacy groups such as the National Commission Against Drunk Driving and other experts in the field of alcohol-related issues. Additionally, NASCAR reached out to industry groups such as the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) and The Century Council. NASCAR based its guidelines on the input received from these groups. The distilled spirits companies participating in NASCAR must agree to comply with the Distilled Spirits Council's "Code of Responsible Practices for Beverage Alcohol Advertising and Marketing" and abide by the Code Review Board's decisions. Each company's marketing activities will be grounded in a responsible behavior message. A dedicated portion of advertising by spirits companies in NASCAR will be solely focused on encouraging responsible drinking decisions, with all remaining advertising including a responsible behavior tag.(NASCAR PR)(11-10-2004)

  • PowerAde and Coca-Cola leaving NASCAR? NASCAR sources indicate that Coca-Cola / PowerAde may drop its NASCAR sponsorship at the end of the season. NASCAR signed PowerAde to a victory-lane sponsorship that has proven too hot to handle, according to NASCAR sources, who said the brand would like to get out of NASCAR because of the disputes and because business hasn't been that good lately.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-30-2004)

  • Pepsi tops Coke at Daytona: An analysis done for the Sports Business Daily shows that Pepsi easily bested Coca-Cola in terms of television exposure during the July 3 Pepsi 400 Nextel Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. The Daily says Pepsi got 58 minutes 22 seconds of exposure to Coke's 1 minute 19 seconds. The study was done by SRi for the Daily after Coca-Cola put its C2 low-carb soda brand on eight cars for the race.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(7-14-2004)

  • The Official Bank: SunTrust Banks announced a multi-year agreement with NASCAR to become the "Official Bank of NASCAR." SunTrust's relationship with NASCAR, one of the largest and most popular sports in the country, reinforces the company's commitment to serve the financial needs of the motorsports industry. Under terms of the agreement, SunTrust will be involved in NASCAR at many levels, including supporting the sport's diversity initiatives, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, grassroots racing, and various charitable and community programs. In order to best serve the NASCAR community of drivers, owners and teams, SunTrust will build upon its Motorsports Banking Group announced earlier this year. The expanded unit will support both the financial needs of NASCAR's drivers and teams as well as assist with the sport's community-related programs that directly benefit the families of NASCAR's drivers and teams. Sanctioned organizations that will receive immediate support from SunTrust Motorsports Banking include Women's Auxiliary of Motorsports (WAM), which helps to provide support for the families of NASCAR racers; Motor Racing Outreach (MRO), a non-denominational group that provides religious services for NASCAR and other racing series; and Victory Junction Gang Camp, a retreat for children living with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. SunTrust will also take its sponsorship to the track and broaden the number of NASCAR fans it reaches across the country by becoming an associate sponsor of a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team to be named, as well as a contingency award sponsor of NASCAR's Dodge Weekly Racing Series, NASCAR's grassroots racing series. This local program will also include sponsorship of several grassroots racing facilities.(Yahoo Biz)(6-19-2004)

  • Official NASCAR Windshield: Visteon has signed an agreement to be the exclusive manufacturer of Officially Licensed NASCAR Performance Windshields. Today's announcement marks the second Visteon Aftermarket product line to be Officially Licensed NASCAR Performance products; the first was radiators.(biz.yahoo.com via Insider Racing News)(3-18-2004)

  • NASCAR Sponsors Debuting during the Daytona 500: The Daytona 500, one of the largest and most-watched sporting events of the year, is more than just NASCAR’s richest and most prestigious race. It is a television event used by some of America’s largest and most successful companies to launch new advertising campaigns. In 2002, 35 million viewers watched all or part of NBC’s coverage, a record in the race’s 24-year broadcast history. NBC will again broadcast the 46th annual Daytona 500 live on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 12:00noon/et, with approximately 200,000 spectators expected to attend the race at Daytona International Speedway. Following are several companies’ high-profile advertising plans for reaching the sporting world’s most brand-conscious fans tuned in to “The Great American Race”:
    · Nextel Communications Inc., continues its first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series ad campaign with two new spots showing fans using their Nextel phones with digital walkie-talkie Direct Connect, often with humorous consequences. In one ad, fans “Direct Connect” each other to embellish the truth and shorten a very long concession line. A second spot shows friends in the racetrack’s RV park using Direct Connect to navigate through the masses. Nextel will run three other spots that debuted in the weeks leading up to the Daytona 500. One spot, featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. scoring an NFL touchdown – in his race car – was rated one of the best ads from this year’s Super Bowl broadcast.
    · UPS will air two new spots to launch this year’s Race the Truck ad campaign, in which Dale Jarrett, driver of the No. 88 UPS Ford, receives "proper training” from UPS drivers about what it takes to drive the big, brown truck. In "Safety," a UPS driver asks if Jarrett has ever had any accidents driving his UPS vehicle. In "Yoga,"Jarrett finds himself in entirely new positions. UPS will also air three more humorous spots featuring Jarrett during the 2004 season.
    · ExxonMobil will run a new commercial promoting the “Mobil 1 Million,” a consumer promotion in which one lucky fan can win a total of $1 million by predicting the winners of all 36 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races in 2004.
    · AOL will advance its new campaign for the company’s TopSpeed technology with a new spot featuring NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. AOL will also carry a special Daytona 500 Advertising Poll on AOL.com. AOL members will log on to vote for their favorite commercial, selecting one of 12 spots from the Daytona 500.
    · NAPA AUTO PARTS will air two new spots featuring Michael Waltrip, driver of the No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet and the defending champion of the Daytona 500, and his DEI teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. The new commercials will run throughout the NASCAR season with a third spot to be introduced in the spring.
    · The Gillette Company will break a new NASCAR-themed commercial for its Duracell battery brand during the Great American Race. Gillette aired two spots for the “Gillette Young Guns” during the Budweiser Shootout on Feb. 7. The Gillette Young Guns are Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman.
    · Coca-Cola will take a lighthearted look at NASCAR drivers’ competitive nature in a spot called “To the Victor.” NASCAR stars in the Coca-Cola Racing Family – including Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, Kurt Busch, Kyle Petty, Michael Waltrip and Kevin Harvick – heatedly race remote controlled cars for an ice-cold Coke. A 60-second version of the spot will be shown in movie theaters across the country this spring.
    · ChevronTexaco will air a new TV spot for its Havoline brand that uses historical footage to celebrate the brand’s 100th anniversary. Texaco/Havoline is in its 18th year as a sponsor of NASCAR’s premier national series and currently sponsors the No. 42 Dodge driven by Jamie McMurray, the 2003 Raybestos Rookie of the Year.
    · Visa is again this season giving its cardholders a chance to win the Visa Ultimate NASCAR Experience in 2004 with a new spot. Ten winners will receive the NASCAR “weekend of a lifetime.” More details are available at www.visa.com/nascar.
    · Anheuser-Busch, the Official Beer of NASCAR, will be showcasing its new 2004 creative, starring Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet. The company is running eight ads in the race, including two NASCAR-themed spots.
    · Toyota: Three-time NASCAR champion and new Toyota team owner Darrell Waltrip will star in a series of TV, print and radio ads beginning with the Daytona 500. The TV spots will run during other sporting events including NBA and NCAA basketball games. Waltrip is expected to drive the No. 11 Toyota Tundra in three races this year.
    · Lowe's is debuting a 60-second spot featuring Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet. The ad ties the passion Lowe's has for helping its customers with home improvement projects with the passions fans have for racing. It is also intended to reflect Lowe's long-term commitment to the sport while showcasing the new "face" of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing.
    · NASCAR is launching its own new image advertising campaign – the story of a fantasy race where, through computer wizardry, the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time compete against the stars of today. The first of six TV spots in the campaign, called “Timeless,” will debut during the Daytona 500. The campaign, developed by The Martin Agency, features archive film and audio of NASCAR heroes of the past blended with images of hard-charging champions of today – all set to Boston’s classic rock ballad “Long Time.”
    Other strong supporters of NASCAR that will advertise during the race include Domino’s with a spot for Cheesy Domino’s Dots and Ford, with the Ford GT 60-second commercial which debuted in the Super Bowl kickoff show.(NASCAR PR)(2-14-2004)

  • Raybestos and NASCAR extend agreement: Brake Parts Inc., manufacturer of Raybestos, the world's leading brand of brake components, has reached an agreement with NASCAR to extend sponsorship of the Raybestos Rookie of the Year program through 2010. Raybestos will sponsor the rookie race in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Busch, and Craftsman Truck Series in addition to the Busch North and NASCAR Grand National West Division. Raybestos has renewed their marketing partnership with NASCAR and will remain the "Official Brakes of NASCAR." Raybestos celebrates their 10th anniversary as an associate sponsor with Robert Yates Racing. The Raybestos colors will once again grace the quarter panels of Elliott Sadler's #38 M&M's Ford.
    The Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the NEXTEL Cup Series is awarded an original portrait by Motorsports artist Jeanne Barnes and a check for $50,000 presented during NASCAR Awards Night in New York. The Busch Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award is worth $15,000 to that division's top rookie. In addition, the highest finishing rookie in each Busch Series race earns $1,000 from Raybestos brand Brakes. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the Craftsman Truck Series collects $10,000 at season's end and like the Busch Series, the highest finishing rookie in each race earns $1,000 from Raybestos.
    · As part of the "Official Brakes of NASCAR" Raybestos will award $1,750 at each NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event to the winning driver, $1,200 to the second place driver, $800 to third, $500 to tenth, and $450 to 20th position. The only eligibility requirement is that the car credited with those finishing positions must carry the Raybestos contingency decals.
    · Raybestos also gives $5,000 to the crew chief of the highest qualifying Raybestos Rookie at the Brickyard 400 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The names of the crew chief and driver will be engraved on the Golden Walrus trophy that is on display at the speedway's museum.
    · In the NASCAR Busch Series, $500 will be paid to the winner of each race, $400 for second, $300 for third, and $300 for 20th place, provided each finisher is carrying a Raybestos decal.
    · In the Craftsman Truck Series, $600 will be paid to the winner of each race, $400 for second place, and $400 for third, provided each finisher is carrying a Raybestos decal.
    · Now in its 48th consecutive year of association with the Indianapolis 500, Raybestos presents the winner with the prestigious Safety-In-Speed Award along with a check for $5,000.
    · Raybestos will continue to sponsor the "Raybestos Brake of the Race Award" on all Motor Racing Network Winston Cup broadcasts. The award gives $500 to the Motor Racing Outreach Children's Ministry in the name of the driver selected by MRN as the winner of the Raybestos Brake of the Race Award, which is given to the driver who experiences the best brake (break) in the race. The award is announced on all the network's Winston Cup broadcasts.
    · Raybestos will continue to sponsor the Raybestos FasTalk with Benny Parsons radio show on the Performance Racing Network. The program airs each Monday night on approximately 300 affiliates nationwide.(Raybestos / Camp and Assoc PR)(2-11-2004)

  • Marketers Fuming at New Championship Restrictions: In a move that raises the financial risk for the marketers who sponsor race cars and their drivers, NASCAR is instituting a new scoring system that will more tightly restrict eligibility to win the Nextel Cup Championship. Marketers, who covet the intense media exposure that follows the winner back to Pit Road, are fuming. Some tell AdAge.com they are seriously reassessing their season-long NASCAR sponsorship budgets, which can range from between $15 million and $30 million. "We've made a commitment to our team for this year," said an executive for a marketer that sponsors one of the 42 Nascar drivers. "But if our guy isn't one of the 10 drivers competing for the championship, then maybe next year we do look at [sponsoring] the first 26 races and then seeing what happens."(See full story at Ad Age)(2-3-2004)

  • Goody's Re-Ups with NASCAR: Goody's Headache Powder and NASCAR announced the renewal of Goody's status as the "Official Pain Reliever of NASCAR" - a title it has held for the past 27 years. Of NASCAR's current 2004 official sponsor roster, Goody's Headache Powder is the longest serving, non-automotive sponsor of NASCAR. In addition to maintaining its status as the "Official Pain Reliever of NASCAR," Goody's will continue its long-running sponsorship of the the Goody's "Extra Strength Award" presented to the highest-finishing eligible driver in the NASCAR Busch Series as well as the Goody's "Headache Award" presented during MRN race broadcasts to the driver/team who experiences the biggest "headache" as a result of the day's racing activities in the NASCAR Busch Series.
    Beginning this year, Goody's will also present the "Goody's Fast Relief Zone" at selected tracks on the NASCAR circuit, offering fans an interactive and engaging respite. The Goody's Fast Relief Zone will feature free Goody's samples, chilled water, portable misters on hot days, racing-themed activities, and games where fans can win prizes such as a chance to climb in a race car and drive around the track at the Richard Petty Driving Experience.
    The Goody's Relief Zone will be available at ten events this season at the following five venues: Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 13 & 14, October 30 & 31), Bristol Motor Speedway (March 27 & 28, August 27 & 28), Lowe's Motor Speedway (May 21 & 22, May 29 & 30, October 15 & 16), Texas Motor Speedway (April 3 & 4) and Richmond International Raceway (May 14 & 15, September 10 & 11).
    In addition to its 27-year history with NASCAR, Goody's is also the official pain reliever of Petty Enterprises. Goody's announced in October 2003 that Richard Petty had signed on for another two years to continue as the brand's spokesperson. Richard Petty, who personally uses Goody's, has been the face of the product for nearly 25 years. Petty will once again appear in electronic and print advertising, point-of-sale and instore materials and direct mail pieces. He will also sign autographs in the Goody's Fast Relief Zone at selected events.
    In 2004, Goody's will share title sponsorship with NASCAR for the "Fun Walk On Track for Charity" at three Speedway Motorsports tracks, Bristol, Texas and Lowes Motorspeedways. Proceeds from the events will benefit Speedway Children's Charities and the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, NC.(NASCAR PR)(1-28-2004)

  • USG to Continue Partnerships with NASCAR, MB2/MBV Motorsports: USG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of building materials, including the industry leading Sheetrock Brand, announced it will continue its partnership affiliations with NASCAR and MB2/MBV Motorsports. The 2004 sponsorship programs that USG Sheetrock Brand will be actively involved in are as follows:
    * Primary, Associate Sponsorships with MB2/MBV Motorsports
     Along with being a season-long major associate sponsor on the #01 U.S. Army/MB2 Chevrolet, driven by Joe Nemechek, USG Sheetrock Brand will also be the team's primary sponsor at four NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races in 2004 -- Las Vegas (March 7), Chicago (July 11), New Hampshire (Sept. 19) and Darlington (Nov. 14).
    USG will also carry a season-long associate sponsorship with MB2's teammate, the #10 Valvoline/MBV Chevrolet driven by Scott Riggs in 2004.
    * NASCAR Promotional Partner
    * USG Person of the Year
    The award is designed to honor NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers for their community service contributions and charitable efforts. For the purpose of determining the NASCAR USG Person of the Year award, the program will be divided into four quarters in which drivers are nominated for their off-track charitable efforts. A group of panelists will select one of the quarterly finalists as the USG Person of the Year. The award will be presented in New York during the week of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Awards Banquet.
    * USG Driver of the Race
    At each NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points race, the driver displaying the USG contingency decal on their car who has the best finishing position will win the cash award. The award will be split between the driver and the driver's selected charities.
    * NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series USG Night at the Races
    USG will sponsor "USG Night at the Races" at 26 local race tracks that are part of the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series. The events are intended to provide USG customers an opportunity to enjoy an evening of stock car racing.
    USG Corporation, based in Chicago, is a Fortune 500 company with subsidiaries that are market leaders in their key product groups: gypsum wallboard, joint compound and related gypsum products; cement board; gypsum fiber panels; ceiling panels and grid; and building products distribution. For more information about USG Corporation, visit the USG home page at www.usg.com.(PR)(1-27-2004)

  • No Hard Liquor Sponsors: NASCAR will not follow the lead of the International Race of Champions series and accept advertising money from hard liquor companies, CEO Brian France said Thursday. IROC officially announced Crown Royal as its new sponsor Thursday. The sponsorship will allow the all-star series to quadruple its championship prize to $1 million. NASCAR has had a longstanding policy of not allowing sponsorship from hard liquor brands. ``We think the negatives outweigh the positives in terms of accepting hard liquor at this time,'' France said. ``We understand other series might feel differently. There's been a lot of loosening up in the last several years. Remember, in the '70s, the networks voluntarily pulled those ads off. Some of them have brought them back on. We'll monitor that, but right now we just think it's best to stay as we are.''(Tampa Tribune)(1-16-2004)

  • Wal-Mart and NASCAR: Wal-Mart shoppers will be able to race radio-controlled stock cars in the toy departments of 3,100 stores for one day in February as the centerpiece of a Fan Days program that NASCAR will run with the world's largest retailer as a lead-in to next year's Daytona 500. The NASCAR-licensed cars will run on tracks built using the products of sponsors and licensees that tie in to the program, with as many as 10 brands, including Coca-Cola, expected to participate. NASCAR Fan Days will run from Feb. 1 through Feb. 22, with participating brands receiving prime placement and point-of-sale support throughout the three-week span. The "retailtainment" event, slotted for Feb. 7, will include radio-controlled car racing and NASCAR-themed programming on Wal-Mart's in-store television and radio networks. NASCAR and Wal-Mart are discussing a "presented by" sponsorship with Gillette-owned battery brand Duracell, according to sports marketing sources. Gillette recently signed on as a NASCAR sponsor in multiple categories, including alkaline batteries. NASCAR and Wal-Mart declined comment on the program. Financial details were unavailable. This will be the fourth consecutive year in which NASCAR ties to Wal-Mart for a Fan Days promotion, but the first time that the two hook up on anything as extensive and attention-grabbing as in-store racing.(Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal)(12-16-2003)

  • Best Western theOfficial Hotel of NASCAR and to the #15 as an assoc in 2004: Best Western International, Inc. has entered into a three-year partnership with NASCAR to become the sport's first-ever Official Hotel, beginning January 1, 2004. Best Western will also serve as an associate sponsor of reigning Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip and the #15 NAPA Chevrolet for the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. Waltrip is a driver for Dale Earnhardt Inc.(Yahoo Finance)(11-3-2003)

  • NASCAR sponsors are happy: When it comes to making a sponsor happy, no other sport does it better than NASCAR, according to a study from Sports Business Journal. The magazine talked with national sponsors that are involved in professional sports throughout the country and found NASCAR sponsors have more satisfaction with they way they're being represented by race teams than any other sport. Overall, NASCAR, the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour and the NHRA drag-racing series ranked as favorites among sponsors who spend billions a year in advertising, the magazine said. The IRL IndyCar Series, CART Champ Car World Series and the WNBA were ranked as the least-favorites.(Augusta Chronicle)(10-16-2003)

  • Tobacco to be banned too? After Winston's departure as title sponsor of NASCAR's top series this year, could tobacco join distilled liquor products and pornography on a list of sponsors excluded from the sport? "That's an issue that's on our radar for next year," NASCAR president Mike Helton said Friday at Pocono Raceway. The series will be known as the Nextel Cup beginning in 2004 when that firm replaces R.J. Reynolds Tobacco. NASCAR's deal with RJR kept other cigarette companies out of the sport for the 33 years of their relationship. But once RJR leaves, Helton said, the sport must decide if it will allow any other tobacco company's products into the sport. "We've kept hard liquor and pornography, hard core and soft core, out of the sport on the morality issue," Helton said. "The question we're going to have to look at is whether we need to do that with tobacco." Helton's comments came during a conversation about his trip to Washington, D.C., on Thursday to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee about NASCAR's position on ephedra-based diet supplements. Earlier this year, NASCAR added ephedra to a list of drugs it looks for under a substance abuse policy that allows for testing if there is "reasonable suspicion" a driver or crew member is using banned substances. NASCAR also could have sponsorship issues to work out if the federal government moves to restrict ephedra-based products. Stacker 2 sponsors the #23 team owned by Bill Davis Racing and TrimSpa sponsors a Busch Series team and is the title sponsor of the Busch race being held this weekend at Pikes Peak.(ThatsRacin.com)(7-26-2003)

  • Sponsor Issues: NASCAR officials, working on possible new series sponsors for the Winston Cup tour, have run into a few unexpected roadblocks: at least one of the potential new sponsors (reported to be a telecommunications operation, such as Motorola or Nextel) is reported to be having second thoughts about taking NASCAR's offer after learning that it would not have exclusivity in the sport. R.J. Reynolds' Winston brand has had that exclusivity, if not on contract at least at the behest of Daytona executives, and tobacco rivals were kept out (except for smokeless U.S. Tobacco). Any telecommunications sponsor would find a couple of corporate rivals already here, Cingular and Alltel, backing heavyweight car owners Richard Childress and Roger Penske. Regardless of what happens to the anticipated change in the Winston Cup series sponsorship next season, it appears that Visa will become not just a major sponsor on the NASCAR tour but also the only credit card that can be used at the Winston Cup tour's speedways, according to sources.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-26-2003)

  • Circle K Transitioning Away from NASCAR: On Wednesday, a series of television and radio commercials developed by Dailey & Associates of West Hollywood, Calif., will mark the move of Circle K convenience stores in a new marketing direction, company officials said. "With our NASCAR sponsorship ending this year, we are transitioning away from our positioning as The Official Pit Stop of NASCAR," said Kathleen Grodsky, director of retail advertising and brand management for ConocoPhillips, Circle K's parent company. "We were excited by the challenge of repositioning the brand. Our new tagline "What else do you need?" addresses both our selection and services and can be implemented operationally and across all consumer and internal communications," said Grodsky.(MotorsportsTV)(5-20-2003)

  • Get Well: RJR's/Winston's Denny Darnell had a heart attack yesterday while attending Church on Sunday. Fortunately, they were about 10 minutes from the hospital. They arrived at the emergency room at 12:00noon, and he was in the operating room by 1:00pm. Turns out, he had three blocked arteries which were treated with stents and a balloon. He does have some light to moderate damage to the wall of the heart, but he seems to be doing well. Last night, they said he'd be in CCU for at least one night, and he was moved to a private room this morning. Darnell will be in the hospital until Wednesday or Thursday before going home. Get well Denny.(5-5-2003)
    UPDATE: Darnell is getting out of the hospital around mid day today. He still has a somewhat irregular heart beat, but after three hours of tests yesterday, the cardiolgists feel it will be normalized in time. No word yet on how long he will be out of work It depends on how quickly the heartbeat gets back to normal.(5-8-2003)

  • NASCAR Sponsor Summit Postponed: NASCAR says concerns stemming from the war with Iraq have led it to postpone a sponsor summit that was scheduled to start yesterday and run through Wednesday in Naples, FL, according to today's Sports Business Daily. NASCAR had expected about 175 attendees for the event, which the sanctioning body now hopes to hold in the fall.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter - free)(3-31-2003)

  • Sponsor holding Money: One sponsor representative relayed to www.teamfordracing.com that his sponsor intends to hold all of their television advertising dollars until the NBC crew picks-up the broadcast duties, which will begin with the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Pushed somewhat, the rep said that his company didn’t care for the Fox network presentation of the sport. The rep said, NBC’s professional presentation of the sport is more fitting with his company’s image. Additionally, the sponsor disputed an ad buy guaranteeing coverage. “[The driver] could be banging fenders for second place and they’d show the 14th and 15th place cars nose-to-tail. It didn’t matter if [the sponsor] bought time or not. They just wouldn’t show the car. They were not getting anything out of it, so they’ve decided not to bother.”(Ford Racing)(3-20-2003), no idea who the sponsor is.

  • USG takes over awards from True Value: Along with its sponsorship involvement with MB2/MBV Motorsports, USG's NASCAR involvement in 2003 includes:
    * Official Building Products Supplier of NASCAR * USG Person of the Year - The award is designed to honor NASCAR drivers for their community service contributions and charitable efforts. For the purpose of determining the NASCAR USG Person of the Year award, the program will be divided into four quarters in which drivers are nominated for their off-track charitable efforts. An elite group of panelists will select one of the quarterly finalists as the USG Person of the Year. The award will be presented in New York during the NASCAR Winston Cup banquet.
    * USG Driver of the Race - The program will award the driver, who has the best finishing position of the race and displays the USG decal on his/her car. The award will be split between the driver and the driver's selected charities.
    * Dodge NASCAR Weekly  Racing  Series "USG Night at the Races" - USG will sponsor "USG Night at the Races" at 20 local race tracks that are part of the Dodge NASCAR Weekly Series. The events are intended to provide customers and USG employees an opportunity to enjoy an evening of stock car racing.
      USG Corporation, based in Chicago, is a Fortune 500 company with subsidiaries that are market leaders in their key product groups: gypsum wallboard, joint compound and related gypsum products; cement board; gypsum fiber panels; ceiling panels and grid; and building products distribution. For more information about USG Corporation, visit the USG home page at www.usg.com.(USG PR), True Value used to award the Person of the Year and Driver of the race, you can see the USG logo on the front fender of the cars where True Value used to be.(2-26-2003)

  • Remember those old Two Division rumors? The possibility of two Winston Cup divisions in the future, effectively doubling the number of races NASCAR could run over the course of a season. ``We did a focus group on that a few years ago and it wasn't really feasible,'' he said. ``I don't know if television would be in favor of it. This is a different ballgame now. With the revenue they're putting into the sport, we've got to pay attention to them.''(Tampa Tribune) AND A proposal made by [Bruton] Smith to split NASCAR into two divisions to create more race dates has been deemed unworkable by the sanctioning body and likely would be rejected by its TV partners.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(2-11-2003)

  • Pizza and NASCAR: Domino's has signed a five-year deal to become the first official pizza of NASCAR, according to this week's Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal. Sources told the publication's Terry Lefton that Domino's will support the sponsorship "with at least $30 million in media, promotions and rights fees over the life of the deal, with additional marketing support anticipated from local Domino's franchises." Domino's first TV ad, which was produced by J. Walter Thompson and features driver Michael Waltrip and his family, will air this week.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(2-11-2003)

  • Changes to the Winston: NASCAR and R.J. Reynolds officials on Wednesday confirmed changes to the format of the 2003 Winston all-star race, including a record $1 million payoff for the winner. The race, scheduled for May 17 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC, features race winners from the 2002 and 2003 seasons as well as past winners of the event. Then-rookie Ryan Newman won the 2002 Winston and its then-record $750,000 purse. The race, entering its 19th season, has been hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway since 1987. The Winston will continue to be run in three segments for a total of 90 laps. However, several changes have been in thoses segments and to The Winston Open, a race among drivers not already qualified for The Winston. Among the changes:
    - The first segment will consist of 40 laps, during which teams must make a mandatory green-flag, four-tire pit stop. If there's a late-segment caution, efforts will be made by NASCAR to ensure a green-flag finish. The top-20 finishers advance to the next segment.
    - Following a 10-minute break, during which teams may work on their cars without losing track position, the second segment of 30 laps will be held. Only the top-14 finishers will advance to the third segment.
    - Following another 10-minute break, the final segment of 20 laps will take place. The starting order will be inverted from positions three through 10 following a random selection process during the break. Only green-flag laps will count toward the total.
    The winner of the final segments receives $1 million. The winner of the first two segments - as well as the pole winner - receives $50,000.
    - The Winston Open, which included opportunities for two drivers to advance to The Winston the last two years, will return to one race in 2003. However, the race will consist of two segments - of 20 and 10 laps - and only the top-14 finishers from the first will advance to the second. Only green-flag laps will count in the final segment and only the winner will advance to The Winston. The Winston weekend will also feature the debut of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series at Lowe's Motor Speedway, with the inaugural Hardee's 200 set for May 16.(ThatsRacin.com)(2-5-2003)

  • More Money: NASCAR announced today that the Winston Cup point fund will be $17 million in 2003, an increase of $3 million over 2002. The NASCAR Winston Cup champion will receive a minimum of $4.25 million from Winston and NASCAR in 2003, a $500,000 increase over last year. Drivers finishing second through fourth will each receive more than $1 million at the annual awards ceremony in New York in December. The total point fund includes money from Winston, NASCAR and the tracks that host NASCAR Winston Cup Series events. 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Points Fund Distribution:
    1. $4,250,000
    2. 1,700,000
    3. 1,275,000
    4. 1,075,000
    5. 925,000
    6. 780,000
    7. 675,000
    8. 575,000
    9. 525,000
    10. 500,000
    11. 450,000
    12. 425,000
    13. 400,000
    14. $375,000
    15. 365,000
    16. 355,000
    17. 345,000
    18. 335,000
    19. 325,000
    20. 315,000
    21. 136,000
    22. 135,000
    23. 134,000
    24. 133,000
    25. 132,000
    Total Point Fund Distribution for Positions 1-25: $16,640,000
    NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus: $360,000
    TOTAL: $17,000,000 (ThatsRacin.com)(1-28-2003)

  • No Bull Five News UPDATE No More: Changes are expected to be announced soon in R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's No Bull Five fan-driver bonus program. The five-year-old program paid million-dollar prizes to drivers and fans at selected Winston Cup races. Drawings paired five drivers and fans at each race, and a victory won $1 million for the driver and his fan. RJR officials have discussed major changes in the program and, in the next few days, are expected to announce how the 2003 version will operate. "Some people think it's served its purpose, and you either change it or look to do other things," said RJR spokesman Denny Darnell. "We've looked at a couple of variations of the program."(Greenville News)(1-5-2002)
    UPDATE: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. announced on Monday its Winston brand will not continue the Winston No Bull 5 program in 2003. The No Bull 5, a bonus program for both drivers and fans, was introduced in 1998 in celebration of NASCAR's 50th anniversary. Five races were picked prior to the start of each season in which one of five drivers was eligible to win $1 million if he won the race. In recent seasons, fans were paired with the drivers, allowing a fan to win $1 million as well if one of the eligible drivers won the event. "The Winston No Bull 5 program was a very successful program for the Winston brand," said Ned Leary, president of RJR's Sports Marketing Enterprises. "However, we are constantly evaluating the allocation of resources. "For 2003, the decision has been made to deploy those resources in other areas." Leary said the decision to end the bonus program did not affect the company's sponsorship of NASCAR's Winston Cup series, which RJR has sponsored the past 32 years.(ThatsRacin.com)(1-6-2003)

  • Army to be an official sponsor of NASCAR: The U.S. Army is becoming the first branch of the military to become an official sponsor of NASCAR and will spend at least $16 million as part of its deal with the sanctioning body, according to this week's Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal. The Army, which had already announced plans to sponsor driver Jerry Nadeau in MB2 Motorsports' renumbered #01 Pontiac this season, is also working on media buys for NASCAR events on Fox and NBC. Reporter Terry Lefton says a deal with International Speedway Corp.'s 12 Winston Cup tracks is complete, and additional venue deals are being negotiated. The Army plans mobile marketing recruitment stations at all NASCAR races, along with "Army Nights" at NASCAR Weekly Racing Series events. The story says MB2 is changing the number of Nadeau's car from #36 to #01 to reflect the service's "Army of One" campaign.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(1-6-2003)

  • Anheuser-Busch extends NASCAR contracts through 2007: Anheuser-Busch has extended its sponsorship of BGN through the 2007 season. Busch has been the title sponsor of the series since its inception in 1982. The sponsor’s contribution to the series’ annual points fund distribution, which totals $2.5 million this season, will increase by $400,000 per year over the length of the new contract, reaching $4.5 million at the conclusion of the 2007 season. In addition, Budweiser has extended through 2007 its sponsorship of the pole award in all NASCAR divisions and the annual preseason non-points race, Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.(ThatsRacin.com)(11-16-2002)

  • Winston Cup Draws 6.7 Million Winston Cup races once again drew the largest number of motorsports fans in the United States and Canada to tracks last year, The Sports Business Daily says today. The Daily's "Turnstile Tracker" says some 6.7 million spectators attended Winston Cup races, practices and qualifying sessions out of the total of the 35.8 million people who saw some form of live racing in the U.S. and Canada. DIRT racing drew 4.5 million to its numerous events to rank second. The online publication, which is put out by Scene Daily's parent company, Street & Smith's Sports Group, says the Busch Series drew 2.37 million, while the Craftsman Truck Series attracted 900,000.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(11-13-2002)

  • ExxonMobil Official: NASCAR named ExxonMobil's Mobil brand of products as the "Official Lubricants of NASCAR" beginning in 2003. The announcement was made during the 2002 Automotive Aftermarket Parts Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas. An industry leader in the development of innovative, problem-solving lubricants, including synthetics, the Mobil family of automotive lubricants includes motor oil, transmission fluid, gear lubricants and greases, and will join a list of performance products endorsed by the nation's number one motorsport -- NASCAR. A long-time supporter of NASCAR racing, this marks Mobil 1's 12th season as a major sponsor of Penske Racing South with veteran driver Rusty Wallace and rookie sensation Ryan Newman.(Exxon Site/Business Wire) NOTE: this does not cover gasoline.(11-7-2002)

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