NASCAR executives are still studying AT& –T’s sponsorship program with #49 car owner Beth Ann Morgenthau [driver, Ken Schrader qualified 4th forthe Pepsi 400], who has had a contract this season allowing AT& –T to become primary sponsor whenever it desires. AT& –T wanted to up its stake in NASCAR in 2004 by putting its Wireless division on the quarterpanel of a Jack Roush [#99] car or a Dale Earnhardt Inc. [#1] car. But NASCAR insists that the new series sponsorship contract with Nextel precludes any such new deal, that only current wireless sponsors Cingular and AllTel could be ‘grandfathered’ in, and that Cingular and ALLTEL could only remain in the sport as long as they remain with current car owners Richard Childress and Roger Penske. But AT& –T officials are not willing to be pushed out of the picture so easily. Even now, two weeks after NASCAR and Nextel signed, NASCAR officials have been unable to resolve the AT& –T situation. The specifics at issue with AT& –T are unclear, but NASCAR faces a situation where it must avoid the appearance of one set of rules for powerful car owners like Childress and Penske yet another set of rules for less powerful car owners such as Morgenthau. The AT& –T situation has stunned observers in the Winston Cup garage because AT& –T is currently one of NASCAR’s ‘official’ sponsors and thus presumably in close contact with the sanctioning body. There are also a number of legal issues related to the Nextel-NASCAR-ATT affair – does NASCAR have the legal right to read any car owner’s contract?( Winston Salem Journal )(7-4-2003) UPDATE – AT&T can sponsor #49 in 2004: #49 Car owner Beth Ann Morganthau learned that AT&T will be allowed to sponsor her #49 Dodge next year. The new title sponsorship contract with Nextel prohibits other telecommunications companies from coming into the sport, but NASCAR agreed since AT&T had been a part-time sponsor this year for Morganthau’s BAM Racing, it could return.( Florida Times Union )(7-5-2003) UPDATE 2: “AT&T wants to expand its program long-term,” #49 BAM Racing program manager, Gus Larkin said. “But we have to be sensitive to NASCAR’s deal with Nextel. We have to be very careful we do this properly.” One hot debate is paint – AT&T’s blue-and-white globe logo. It’s a registered trademark of AT&T, but Nextel said the Morgenthaus can’t use it next year on their car because it’s also a logo used, under lease, by AT&T Wireless. “AT&T has been on our car all year long, this is one of the important points,’ Larkin said. ‘We’ve had an agreement with them, and this entire program was based on building something they could expand. That means running several different brands within the AT&T consumer group. That’s why you saw the AT&T car in California. You’ll see another one in Atlanta, and another paint scheme in Darlington. Those are things that NASCAR obviously wants to take a look at – ‘What are your plans, how creatively are you going to do it on the car? AT&T said the program has gone very, very well, they’re happy with BAM Racing, and they’re aware that if AT&T is going to stay within the sport, it’s going to be with BAM racing. Their long-term plan has always been one of expanding and turning it into a full-time program, and being able to pull from several different budgets internally. Let’s face it, NASCAR did a very good deal with Nextel, and we’ve got to be sensitive to that agreement. There was confusion this was an AT&T Wireless deal. But that is a completely separate company. This is the AT&T consumer group, that’s the point we’re trying to stress. AT&T Wireless was spun off years ago, and there is a licensing agreement with Wireless to use the AT&T globe logo. That is specifically what we’re starting to get down to – how that globe is used, what does it mean, and the actual branding of the race car – what will it look like.”( Winston Salem Journal )(7-6-2003)
