[dunnere]

Not sure if this comes as news to everybody, but it did to me...here's the story:


Sprint is ending its sponsorship of NASCAR's premier division after the 2016 season, the company announced Tuesday.

The decision comes with Sprint in the midst of a leadership transition and experiencing a downtrend in sales. The wireless carrier has been involved in NASCAR since buying Nextel in 2005, assuming Nextel's 10-year sponsorship agreement. Sprint signed a three-year extension with NASCAR in December 2011 taking it through 2016.

Prior to Sprint, NASCAR's Cup Series was sponsored by R.J. Reynolds' Winston cigarette brand from 1971 to 2003.

"NASCAR and Sprint have enjoyed a long and productive partnership that has returned significant value to both parties," said Brett Jewkes, NASCAR senior vice president and chief communications officer. We understand significant changes within Sprint and the highly competitive business environment it is in has led to a decision not to extend its Cup Series entitlement position following the 2016 season."

Sprint's announcement gives NASCAR two years to find a entitlement sponsor, and follows Nationwide ending its backing of the Nationwide Series, NASCAR's No. 2 division, after the recently completed 2014 season. Xfinity signed a 10-year agreement estimated at close to $200 million to replace Nationwide beginning in 2015.

In addition to its entitlement sponsorship, which funds the championship points bonuses exceeding $20 million this season, Sprint also supports the exhibition races at Daytona International Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

"The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is a very unique, premium sports marketing platform with strong momentum, so we are very confident of moving forward in 2017 with an outstanding new partner," Jewkes said. "In the meantime, we look forward to Sprint's partnership on the best racing series in the world for the next two seasons."

[shelbysaleen]

no surprise here. this will be the norm now. every 10 years or so a new sponsor.

[spazmatastic]

I just read about this about an hour ago. Like Michael said, not a surprise.

[Mikarlo]

Not that it was a surprise, like what Michael and Adam said, but it did catch me off guard. Like with Winston, Nextel, and Busch...I guarantee it will take me a season or two to start calling it the Xfinity Series and whatever the Sprint Cup Series is renamed to. You just get so use to calling it one thing and then it changes. Heck, I still slip up from time to time and say the Busch Series, lol. Oh well, such is the nature of big business...though I find it hard to believe both a major insurance company and a major cell company are struggling enough to end their sponsorships. Seems to me those are two pretty stable fields in our society...but then, I'm not of a business mind.

[spazmatastic]

The one I still slip up on the most is the Truck Series. I still call it Craftsman from time to time.

[shelbysaleen]

ARE yall ready for the Coca Cola Nascar series. Maybe they change the trophy to ol an old fasioned coke glass

[Echo7Bravo]

ARE yall ready for the Coca Cola Nascar series. Maybe they change the trophy to ol an old fasioned coke glass

That would be great, I love Coke I am stuck in Eastern NC with all these Pepsi loving people, lol

Jerry

[spazmatastic]

Yankees and their Coke...



I'm a Mountain Dew fan myself.