[Wampinrock]

This has been bugging me for quite a while...I would like to see how you super people feel about it: As a USAF retired person...super Cup fan...and 'eat-up' with anything dealing with stock car racing...

I have a lot of trouble with the sponsorship of the Department of Defense organizations; i.e. Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army, Navy. I do not fully understand where the money comes from that sponsors the great drivers wearing these colors and emblems. Please understand...I love the cup and thourally enjoy and respect the drivers/teams etc...but should I pay Income Taxes with the feeling that some of my money is going to sponsor those teams? Is there no other way? p/s/ The American Legion is working to sponsor a car, however, the monies are garnished by donations and sales of United States patriotic items (flags, pins, etc.). Can anyone guide me on this?

[Lefty Noob]

Well, I guess you could look at it like a recruiting commercial on wheels.

I'm afraid that's about the only thing I can come up with the explain and/or justfiy it.

[rmjvol]

Same here. I just look at it as an advertising spend. No different than the Army spending however much to film & air new TV commercials. With so many big brand names as sponsors, somebody has got to have run some numbers and figured out that it's a profitable investment. Hopefully, the DOD is getting a good return on your tax dollars

[Wampinrock]

As to the return on our tax dollars, we are really money ahead in that department...the quality, dedication, esprit de corps and talent of our troops is far surpassed any other country in the world, and the people fending off our enemies and defending our freedoms are the greatest. I am so very proud of each of them. No day goes by that I don't thank God for our troops and personnel in our countrys' service. I just don't quite understand the $$$ expenditure. Now, if we could only get the major networks to see the real sacrifice of out young people!! Them (networks) be turkeys! But thanks, to those of you attempting to clear this quandry...

[LSC9901]

I agree that it is all about exposure. It owuld be interesting to find out just how much money is spent by the military to sponsor race cars of all types, what the return was anticipated to be and what it really is and maybe what did they stop doing to get into this adventure. It would be nice if we could get out of Iraq and all the other places and then super sponsor a team or two. How about a billion dollar team or two ?????

For the other types of sponsors I would think that a good portion of the money is spent asa tax write off. Many teams spend well over $10,000 per weekend just on tires. If a team runs and wins $80,000 I would believe that the margin of profit versus expense is very small.