Winston Cup tire men are asking why Michelin was suddenly a NASCAR tour sponsor, something unexpected and unexplained. Goodyear has a contract to be the sole supplier of tires for NASCAR racing. But some teams are becoming worried about Goodyear’s financial problems and the possible impact that could have. Of all the things it takes to put on a race, tires are the most indispensable. And the last time Goodyear’s fate was in question – in the late 1980s when the company was a takeover target – NASCAR made a deal with Hoosier Tires’ Bob Newton to provide race tires.( Winston Salem Journal )(3-15-2003) UPDATE: the race at Darlington, the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400, will be referred to by Fox TV as the NASCAR Winston Cup race Presented by Michelin – in yet another example of how sharp and bitter the TV advertising debate has gotten. Goodyear, the exclusive tire supplier to NASCAR, isn’t buying any TV ads, so Fox sold spots to archrival Michelin. To say that Goodyear men and Michelin men don’t get along is understatement. And the mere mention of Michelin in NASCAR has been such a surprise that it has raised speculation about what might lie ahead, given the financial troubles besetting Goodyear. And there has been no word from Dodge officials about the looming Fox snub, coming in front of a predicted TV audience of about 10 million today. It is the latest example of what appears to be an aggressive push by the New York TV network executives to squeeze out more advertising dollars. NASCAR insiders are pointing to that as perhaps one reason the sanctioning body appears to be having trouble signing a new fuel sponsor to replace Unocal. And TV pressure is considered a significant piece of the RJR sponsorship puzzle. If Goodyear, Reynolds and Unocal – three of NASCAR’s most loyal and longest running sponsors – all bite the dust; one NASCAR veteran puts it this way: “If we didn’t know who ran the sport before, we sure do now – the networks.” If NASCAR officials can find a company willing to put up the $40 million to $50 million a year in a long-term sponsorship deal to be the series titlist, replacing R.J. Reynolds, the TV networks are expected to demand at least $1 million a race in advertising fees to use that name in its telecasts. According to one New York advertising official, NASCAR is looking for a series sponsorship of $100 million a year for 15 years.( Winston Salem Journal )(3-16-2003)
