Nike officials have been meeting at length with NASCAR officials about a major new sponsorship program on the Winston Cup tour, and indications are that one of the first off-shoots could be some ”Air Gordons” on store shelves. Dale Earnhardt has been trying hard for more than a year to land a Nike deal, but Nike seems to be leaning toward Gordon because he’s much younger, according to sources close to the situation. Nike officials also have been looking at plans for a full Winston Cup team, and they’re willing to spend as much as $8 million on the venture. But Nike has turned down a NASCAR pitch from Julius Erving (who wore Converse). Erving now might be leaning toward a Pepsi or Coca-Cola sponsorship for his new team(another story from the JournalNow by Mike Mulhearn)(6-2-97)
