NASCAR

Push To End Military Spending On Pro Sports Sponsorships Gaining Traction

Published May 18, 2012

The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Thursday approved a $608B defense bill with an amendment attached that could ban military sponsorship of professional sports, according to Dustin Long in a special to USA TODAY. NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman and Aric Almirola will feature military sponsors for the National Guard, U.S. Army and Air Force, respectively, in the Coca-Cola 600 over Memorial Day weekend,while Izod IndyCar Series driver J.R. Hildebrand “will be back with National Guard” for the Indianpolis 500. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) tried to "prevent military spending on sporting events last year." Although McCollum's measure failed then, she is now co-sponsoring a bill with Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.). McCollum noted, "The military needs to be present in our communities. There's nothing to prevent them … from having recruiters at these events. We're paying for recruiters to be at these events. It's the above and beyond that is just ridiculous." The National Guard reportedly will pay $26.5M this fiscal year for its NASCAR sponsorship, while last year it spent $32.8M, an amount that “represented 8.6% of its total recruiting budget.” Long noted the next step is “a full vote in the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a majority of seats.” The Democrat-controlled Senate “would vote on passing its own version of the bill, which may or may not have the NASCAR funding ban.” McCollum said, "I was in the private sector in retails sales for years and marketing. This is not smart marketing" (USATODAY.com, 5/17). SPORTING NEWS’ Bob Pockrass noted the National Guard sponsors Earnhardt “for 18 races and the U.S. Army sponsors Newman for 12” (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 5/17).

DO THE DEW: USA TODAY’s Nate Ryan noted the NASCAR Nationwide Series Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 at Iowa Speedway Sunday will “mark the first time one of Earnhardt’s Sprint Cup sponsors (Diet Mountain Dew) takes a primary role on his team’s Nationwide car, and he considers it a coup because the race doesn’t have a built-in attraction of being in a major market or as a companion to a Cup event.” Earnhardt said, “I’d love to do more of it. It really takes a lot of pressure off us financially because the market is challenging.” Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports, after losing money in '09 and '10, “barely broke into the black last year.” But this year has “brought better tidings with new sponsors (including a recently announced four-race deal to promote clean-coal electricity).” Still, JR Motorsports co-Owner & GM Kelley Earnhardt said, “The Nationwide Series fits our goals, but the economics for the team aren’t very pretty. It’s definitely a labor of love” (USA TODAY, 5/18).

HOT NEW WHEELS: SPORTING NEWS' Pockrass noted Chevrolet Thursday announced that it “will campaign its new Chevrolet SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2013 as the replacement for the Impala.” Campaigning the Chevrolet SS in NASCAR “presents a change in the manufacturer’s philosophy toward its Sprint Cup nameplate.” Chevrolet spokesperson Monte Doran said, “I still think the ‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ mentality works for the whole Chevrolet brand. … They may go buy a Silverado or a Camaro or an Impala. NASCAR is still a huge contributor to our overall brand awareness and it also helps build excitement from our performance brand” (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 5/17). Meanwhile, Charlotte-based Presbyterian Healthcare on Thursday announced that it will serve as the primary sponsor of Parsons Racing's No. 98 NASCAR Sprint Cup Ford driven by Michael McDowell for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Presbyterian Healthcare).