Where Are All Of The Sponsors Going In NASCAR?
By: Gregg A. Shultz, RaceFanVote.com
Silly Season in 2008 is involving some big names, not just in the drivers and teams, but the sponsors as well. The
doom-and-gloom, sky is falling reports would have us believe that the economy is to blame and the sport of stock
car racing is about to ‘go to hell in a handbasket’. The truth is that sponsor-jumping, sponsors leaving or cutting back
support has been the way of the sport since it began.
Understanding why it happens can be best explained using the sport’s most popular driver, Dale Jr. and his
relationship with Budweiser. Their choice not to follow him in his move to Hendrick was based on economics, but
not in the economy in general being bad. It’s no secret that he was going to command an expensive sponsorship
price tag and the short answer being that they had probably converted all of the Dale Jr. fans into Bud drinkers that
they were going to convert. It was time for a new market, plain and simple and another team fit their strategy.
In addition, if you look at some of the other sponsors that have jumped teams, arguably they are not going over to
lesser performing teams just to save some money. Caterpillar and Betty Crocker moving to Richard Childress
Racing was not a step down [or less expensive] from where they were. Aflac just threw their hat into the ring going
full time on the no. 99 car driven by Carl Edwards for what was reported to be a record deal and you know that Amp
Energy Drink /Mountain Dew didn’t get off cheap when they came into the sport to sponsor the no. 88 car.
A lot of attention gets placed on the smaller teams who are constantly juggling sponsors or simply trying to acquire
one full time. You hear about one race deals with so and so or another sponsor leaving a team who hasn’t qualified
for a race in 8 tries. The fact is that it’s too much emphasis being placed on teams that are having sponsor issues
not at all related to the economy or the sport being on a decline. It’s the way that it’s been since the sport began. In
times likes these it’s the sort of thing that gets pointed out way too often for all of the wrong reasons.
The reports of NASCAR’s woes aren’t coming from the usual names & sources that report on the sport and in
addition to how the automaker’s problems are going to impact the sport seem to be just an opportunistic attempt at
grabbing readers with ‘chicken little, the sky is falling’ headlines.
There is no doubt that if the automakers pull support from the teams it will create a hardship on them both financially
and in the research & development programs, but they are not going to shut down over it.
Engine development is one of the biggest money eating monsters that involves the manufacturers and at some point
NASCAR will put an end to the ‘spitting’ match that is costing the teams multiple millions of dollars each year just to
gain a few horsepower. The teams are taking an approach to the subject as ‘we’ll cross that bridge when we get
there’ which is probably the way the fans should look at it as well.
So, where are all of the sponsors going… they are going on the hood and fenders of the cars just as they have
always been. Sponsors are simply moving around and for one that leaves one more comes in. Trying to connect the
dots on sponsor’s movement, the economy, track attendance and the automaker’s problems to form a negative
perspective of the sport leaves out the most important factors showing the positives.
Big sponsors are resigning with stronger teams, new ones are coming in and new opportunities at places like the
newly formed Stewart Haas Racing are opening up. Track attendance is down some, but the TV ratings are more
than making up for the deficit.
The next time you read something trying to convince you that NASCAR is in trouble, remember that a lot of what is
happening is the way that it’s always been. The rest of it… we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
By: Gregg A. Shultz, RaceFanVote.com
Silly Season in 2008 is involving some big names, not just in the drivers and teams, but the sponsors as well. The
doom-and-gloom, sky is falling reports would have us believe that the economy is to blame and the sport of stock
car racing is about to ‘go to hell in a handbasket’. The truth is that sponsor-jumping, sponsors leaving or cutting back
support has been the way of the sport since it began.
Understanding why it happens can be best explained using the sport’s most popular driver, Dale Jr. and his
relationship with Budweiser. Their choice not to follow him in his move to Hendrick was based on economics, but
not in the economy in general being bad. It’s no secret that he was going to command an expensive sponsorship
price tag and the short answer being that they had probably converted all of the Dale Jr. fans into Bud drinkers that
they were going to convert. It was time for a new market, plain and simple and another team fit their strategy.
In addition, if you look at some of the other sponsors that have jumped teams, arguably they are not going over to
lesser performing teams just to save some money. Caterpillar and Betty Crocker moving to Richard Childress
Racing was not a step down [or less expensive] from where they were. Aflac just threw their hat into the ring going
full time on the no. 99 car driven by Carl Edwards for what was reported to be a record deal and you know that Amp
Energy Drink /Mountain Dew didn’t get off cheap when they came into the sport to sponsor the no. 88 car.
A lot of attention gets placed on the smaller teams who are constantly juggling sponsors or simply trying to acquire
one full time. You hear about one race deals with so and so or another sponsor leaving a team who hasn’t qualified
for a race in 8 tries. The fact is that it’s too much emphasis being placed on teams that are having sponsor issues
not at all related to the economy or the sport being on a decline. It’s the way that it’s been since the sport began. In
times likes these it’s the sort of thing that gets pointed out way too often for all of the wrong reasons.
The reports of NASCAR’s woes aren’t coming from the usual names & sources that report on the sport and in
addition to how the automaker’s problems are going to impact the sport seem to be just an opportunistic attempt at
grabbing readers with ‘chicken little, the sky is falling’ headlines.
There is no doubt that if the automakers pull support from the teams it will create a hardship on them both financially
and in the research & development programs, but they are not going to shut down over it.
Engine development is one of the biggest money eating monsters that involves the manufacturers and at some point
NASCAR will put an end to the ‘spitting’ match that is costing the teams multiple millions of dollars each year just to
gain a few horsepower. The teams are taking an approach to the subject as ‘we’ll cross that bridge when we get
there’ which is probably the way the fans should look at it as well.
So, where are all of the sponsors going… they are going on the hood and fenders of the cars just as they have
always been. Sponsors are simply moving around and for one that leaves one more comes in. Trying to connect the
dots on sponsor’s movement, the economy, track attendance and the automaker’s problems to form a negative
perspective of the sport leaves out the most important factors showing the positives.
Big sponsors are resigning with stronger teams, new ones are coming in and new opportunities at places like the
newly formed Stewart Haas Racing are opening up. Track attendance is down some, but the TV ratings are more
than making up for the deficit.
The next time you read something trying to convince you that NASCAR is in trouble, remember that a lot of what is
happening is the way that it’s always been. The rest of it… we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
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