NASCAR
Might Lose It's Title Sponsor
Posted:
January 6, 2003
By: Pamela
Back on January 29th,
NASCAR and ConocoPhillips (76 gasoline), announced it will not
renew the sponsorship as the Official Fuel of NASCAR after
this season. The sponsorship has lasted for more than 50 years
but the company is prompting new marketing strategies to
promote several regional brands instead of one national
product.
In January, R. J. Reynolds
Tobacco Company ended its sponsorship of the National Hot Rod
Association and professional golf but continued to sponsor
NASCAR's Winston West stock car series.
Then R. J. Reynolds Tobacco
Company decided not to continue the Winston No Bull 5 bonus
program in 2003. This was a great program for both drivers and
fans. It awards the winning driver and the fans that had
the winning driver a cool million dollars. "The
Winston No Bull 5 program was a very successful program for
the Winston brand. However, we are constantly evaluating
the allocation of resources. For 2003, the decision has been
made to deploy those resources in other areas." said Ned
Leary, president of Sports Marketing Enterprises.
Ned Leary went on to say
that this did not affect the sponsorship of the top NASCAR
series, NASCAR Winston Cup. "This decision does not
affect our sponsorship of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The
2003 season marks Winston and parent R.J. Reynolds Tobacco
Company's 33rd season of involvement in NASCAR's premier
racing series."
But on Wednesday, RJR says
they are considering ending its longtime partnership.
RJR and NASCAR signed a five-year contract extension last July
but the economy has forced them to reevaluate its commitment
since signing the contract extension. "Since that time,
our business dynamics have changed dramatically. In our
ongoing conversations with NASCAR, we have discussed the
potential of their exploring a new series sponsor at some time
in the future." said Leary.
If this happens, it will
leave the sanctioning body looking at future opportunities
with other companies. NASCAR vice president George Pyne
said he fully expected RJR to fulfill its five-year contract
extension. "Through the years we've had one of the
best partnerships in sports. But through their changing
dynamics, they've told us that if there is an option that
would be in the best of our industry, we should take that into
consideration." Pyne said.
RJR has been the title
sponsor since 1971, and has become synonymous with NASCAR.
Leary set no timetable for when Winston could leave the sport.
"We have always worked with NASCAR and others to do what
was in the best interest of this great sport. As the
series sponsor, we will continue our work to grow this
sport." Leary said
NASCAR SEASON TICKET
PACKAGES ON SALE FOR JUST $99
MEMPHIS, TN (February 4,
2003) - NASCAR Season tickets are now available for the 2003
NASCAR race season at Memphis Motorsports Park, and this
year fans can purchase the packages at an all-time low
price.
For only $99 fans will
receive premium reserved seating for the O'Reilly 200 NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series race (June 20-21) and the Sam's Town
250 benefiting St. Jude NASCAR Busch Grand National race
(October 17-18). Fans purchasing the season ticket packages
will be guaranteed the same seats for each NASCAR event at
MMP in 2003, and have first choice for those same seats for
the following years.
In addition to the
premium (upper row seating) reserved seating, fans also will
receive practice and qualifying day tickets, free race day
parking (parking is free on qualifying days), fan walk
passes and other VIP privileges throughout the season.
"It would be hard to
find a better offer anywhere in the world of motorsports, or
any other sport for that matter," said Memphis
Motorsports Park Vice President and General Manager Jason
Rittenberry. "Fans can save over 40 percent by
purchasing the NASCAR Season Ticket, and the other benefits
that come with being a season ticket holder are
numerous."
Another great benefit to
purchasing NASCAR season tickets is, if purchased by
February 28, each season ticket will also include a free
junior (12 and under) ticket. If no junior ticket is needed,
it will be donated to a local children's charity in the name
of the purchaser.
"One of our goals
for 2003 is to give more young fans throughout the Mid-South
the chance to experience NASCAR up close and personal,"
Rittenberry said. "The free junior season ticket offer
is just one way of getting even more families involved in
the sport of NASCAR. It also will allow children who might
not have the opportunity to go to a NASCAR race a chance
with the unused junior tickets."
There are a number of
extra incentives to purchase season tickets built into this
year's packages. One season ticket holder will be chosen to
win a trip to a NASCAR Winston Cup race, season ticket
holder's will also receive a VIP invitation to a meet and
greet session with selected NASCAR drivers. Season ticket
holders will also receive special discounts through a number
of MMP's sponsors.
"Like any
organization, season ticket holder's are the heart and soul
of our success," Rittenberry said. "We have had
good packages in the past, but this year we think we have
raised the bar and put together an excellent package. The
fans are getting a lot more for a reduced price.
Rob Stallins
Public Relations Director
Memphis Motorsports Park
Direct: (901) 354-2536
Cell: (901) 461-2516
Fax: (901) 358-7274
We
are proud to announce the launch of the all-new
www.thefordmall.com online Ford e-magazine. Check out our
newest issue, available today, including the following (and
much more):
11-Second Modular Cobra Buildup, by Bob Cosby
TheFordMall.Com Babe of the
Month
T5 Shifter Shootout, by Ian
Tocher
2005 Mustang Preview Shots
2002 NMRA Award Ceremony
Pictorial & Coverage
575 HP 347ci Small Block
Buildup
Race Rumors & News
Latest Ford OEM Blue Oval
News
Edelbrock Spring Install
And now, a few words from
TFM editor, Justin Fort:
"It's easy to think
the news and editorial we deliver on the net looks simple, but
this is a fool's paradise. What you see here before you, the
kickoff of a new, improved thefordmall.com, is nothing short
of processing Olympics. The Winternats of keyboarding, every
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- TFM Justin Fort
As you can see, Justin has
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For more information on
TheFordMall.com, e-mail Justin Fort at jfort@thefordmall.com -
for advertising information on TheFordMall.com, contact Chris
Vopat at cvopat@promediapub.com
Southern
All Star Super Trucks Set For Busy Season
HUNTSVILLE, ALThe Southern
All Star Racing Series Supertruck series will move into its
second year of operation with a 17 race schedule set so far
for the 2003 season.
The
series ran under it's first year of Southern All Stars
sanction to many packed grandstands and are fast becoming one
of the more popular series under the Southern All Star Racing
Series sanctioning group, as many of the races were decided in
the final 10 laps or less and all of them hade exciting three
and four wife racing at many of the tracks the series visited.
Roger
Adkins of Canton, GA scored the first series
championship as he came from third to first in the last race
of the season to take the point title over Brandon Brown
of Jackson, MS, and David Odell of Lawrenceville, GA.
All three of these drivers are expected to be back in
contention in the 2003 season along with many more drivers
from the southeast such as Johnny Wall of Huntsville, AL.,
Josh Adkins of Canton, GA, Richard Johns of Lawrenceville, GA,
Josh Cheek of Buffalo, TX, Michael Foy of Snellville, GA,
Chris Serio of Hoover, AL, Jeff Wainwright of Prattville, AL,
Tony Lanier of Cordele, GA, Chris Herb of Birmingham, Al, and
many many more.
The
season will open up with the traditional Earlybird 100 on Feb
22-23 at Birmingham Int'l Raceway in Birmingham, AL, and
conclude on Saturday December 6th at the Snowball Derby in
Pensacola, FL In between the series will be making stop at
Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA, Mobile Speedway in Mobile, AL,,
Huntsville Speedway in Huntsville, AL, South Alabama Speedway
in Opp, AL, Lanier National Speedway in Gainesville, GA, and
the new South Georgia Motor Complex in Valdosta, GA.
2003
SOUTHERN ALL STAR SUPERTRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE
(Tentative Schedule--Subject To Change)
SAT-SUN
FEB 22-23BIRMINGHAM INT'L RACEWAYBIRMINGHAM, AL
SAT
MAR 8SENOIA RACEWAYSENOIA, GA
SAT
MAR 22MOBILE SPEEDWAYMOBILE, AL
SAT
MAY 10HUNTSVILLE SPEEDWAYHUNTSVILLE, AL
SAT
MAY 17SOUTH ALABAMA SPEEDWAYOPP, AL
SUN
MAY 25BIRMINGHAM INT'L RACEWAYBIRMINGHAM, AL
SAT
JUN 14LANIER NATIONAL SPEEDWAYGAINESVLLE, GA
THU
JULY 3MOBILE SPEEDWAYMOBILE, AL
SAT
AUG 2 LANIER NATIONAL SPEEDWAY-GAINESVILLE, GA
FRI
AUG 8FIVE FLAGS SPEEDWAYPENSACOLA. FL
SAT
AUG 16SOUTH GEORGIA MOTOR COMPLEXVALDOSTA, GA
SAT
AUG 30HUNTSVILLE SPEEDWAYHUNTSVILLE, AL
SAT
SEP 20 SOUTH ALABAMA SPEEDWAYOPP, AL
SAT
OCT 25SENOIA RACEWAYSENOIA, GA
FRI-SAT
OCT 31 NOV 1 MOBILE SPEEDWAYMOBILE, AL
SAT-SUN
NOV 22-23 BIRMINGHAM INT'L RACEWAYBIRMINGHAM, AL
SAT
DEC 6 FIVE FLAGS SPEEDWAYPENSACOLA, FL
Some
new and some old in UARA-STARS 2003 schedule
STATESVILLE, N.C. - The 2003 UARA-STARS schedule currently
boasts 15 races scheduled at nine tracks.
Five of the nine track
will be new to many of the competitors as it will be the first
time that the series will race at Southern National (NC)
Speedway, New River Valley (VA) Speedway, Coastal Plains (NC)
Raceway, Fair Grounds Speedway (TN) at Nashville and Lonesome
Pine (VA) International Raceway.
The series will return to
Anderson (SC) Motor Speedway, Orange County (NC) Speedway,
Newport (TN) Speedway and Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway.
There are currently no plans to return to Kingsport (TN)
Speedway or Tri-County (NC) Motor Speedway during the 2003
season.
"One of the most difficult things for any promoter is to
put together a schedule at tracks that showcase the series as
well as giving our sponsors and our racer's sponsors the best
possible exposure," commented UARA-STARS Kerry Bodenhamer.
"We are pleased with the 2003 schedule to date. We plan to
add one more date and feel that the schedule when completed will
compliment what we accomplished last season and enable the
series to continue to grow."
For more information on how you, your company or your race track
can be part of this exciting Late Model racing series call Karen
Schulz 704-682-1474, Kerry and Wink Bodenhamer 828-692-3833 or
visit www.uara-stars.com
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