[Quality88]

ATLANTA -- NASCAR filed a $100 million counter claim against AT&T Inc. on Sunday, accusing the wireless provider of interfering with its exclusive sponsorship agreement with rival wireless company Nextel.
The suit also asks that NASCAR be granted the right to kick AT&T -- and all telecommunications companies other than Nextel -- out of its top series in 2008.
NASCAR filed the suit electronically in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, alleging breach of contract, fraud and misrepresentation, and conspiracy to aid and abet wrongful interference with Nextel.
NASCAR and AT&T have been battling all season over NASCAR's refusal to allow AT&T to put its logos on Jeff Burton's car. Burton and his Richard Childress Racing team have a sponsorship agreement with Cingular, which has since been purchased by AT&T.
AT&T is re-branding the company, but NASCAR would not allow the logos to be changed, citing its agreement with Nextel. Cingular and Alltel were grandfathered into the sport when Nextel entered in 2004, but no changes are permitted to their deals and no other telecommunications companies are allowed into the sport.
NASCAR claims Nextel has exclusivity through its 10-year, $700 million investment.
AT&T sued, and U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob issued a preliminary injunction last month that allowed the Cingular logos to be replaced. He also barred NASCAR and any entity affiliated with it from interfering with AT&T's rights as primary sponsor of the car in the Nextel Cup series.
Burton has raced with AT&T logos since the May 19 ruling. He and Childress both said Sunday they were close to a contract extension for both the driver and AT&T.
In its counterclaim, NASCAR charges that AT&T and Cingular breached its contract with NASCAR, noting the company agreed to abide by NASCAR rules.
NASCAR is seeking a ruling that it "may take certain actions for the 2008 season in order to protect NASCAR and all participants in the sport by placing NASCAR into full compliance with the terms and conditions of the Nextel Sponsorship Agreement.''
"Cingulars refusal to follow NASCAR rules and accept NASCARs denial of this paint scheme, and the filing of this lawsuit, has undermined NASCARs authority as the sanctioning body of stock car auto racing,'' said the suit.
Most notable among those "certain actions'' is that "NASCAR may exercise its discretion not to offer NASCAR membership to Cingular or AT&T for the 2008 Nextel Cup Series season.''
NASCAR also contends it should have the right to not offer a driver and car owner agreement for 2008 to any car sponsored by a telecommunications company other than Nextel.
Alltel sponsors Ryan Newman for Penske Racing.
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said NASCAR does not comment on pending litigation.
AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel could not be reached for comment.


This gettin outta freakin control..... thank you corporate sponsorship.

[Racer Duck]

let's see .. AT&T buys GM .. tells NASCAR no GM cars allowed to run NASCAR. who blinks first???

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

let's see .. AT&T buys GM .. tells NASCAR no GM cars allowed to run NASCAR. who blinks first???

Well that would suck for NA$CAR since they tend to lean toward the GM teams.... that would be interestin.

Think it would make the ESPN top 10 plays

[PettyBlue]

Francecar thinks their _ don't stink.

[Bob Tanner]

For what it's worth, here are Matt McLaughlin's thoughts on the matter:
"Well, things have heated up another notch in the great war between AT&T and NASCAR. NASCAR is now suing the phone folks for one hundred million (100,000,000!) dollars claiming that AT&T’s defiance of their wishes has undermined their control of stock car racing. Looks like NASCAR is trying to build a war chest to pay off the folks in Kentucky when they lose that suit next year or buy the track if they win. You know what? The exorbitant amount of the lawsuit may be bigger news on Wall Street Monday than last Wednesday’s announcement that Junior is going to drive for Rick Hendrick"

[oncea3fan]

I understand that NEXTEL paid big bucks for the series sponsorship, but I don't think nascar or nextel have the right to exclude any PG rating sponsorship of any car, they don't own the cars............yet.

how long before nascar is like the NHRA monster trucks, NHRA owns all the trucks in the series including Grave Digger, Dennis Anderson said it during an interview about not worry to much about tearing it up cause it not really his.

[jks812]

I understand they paid alot of money. But if you're affraid of competition, don't sponsor a competitive sport.

[oncea3fan]

exactly!!!!!!

[Souporscotty]

Thank the LORD, these 'Big Buck' sponsors can provide us all with all the QUALITY entertainment we need with their bickering. I think for a communication service, I'm gonna get alot of string and some tin-cans. And for 'Racin', I'll go to my local dirt track.

[Quality88]

This week on "As the NA$CAR wheel turns'...

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Souporscotty

Thank the LORD, these 'Big Buck' sponsors can provide us all with all the QUALITY entertainment we need with their bickering. I think for a communication service, I'm gonna get alot of string and some tin-cans. And for 'Racin', I'll go to my local dirt track.

If I tie into it will that be a party line ??? Bring on the dirt !!! (track that is)

[tkj24]

History of AT&T

Watch it is a hoot

YouTube - att history

[kcoruol]

The whole problem could be easily fixed:


AT&T buys NASCAR

[jks812]

Nextel could say, you know, we know we're in a competitive sport and we like competition,let em stay. Or they could say, so we started out Nextel and next year will be Sprint; they started out Cingular and now they're AT&T; we understand name change, it don't matter.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by jks812

Nextel could say, you know, we know we're in a competitive sport and we like competition,let em stay. Or they could say, so we started out Nextel and next year will be Sprint; they started out Cingular and now they're AT&T; we understand name change, it don't matter.

yeah, their credibility goes down bunches when they can do it but nobody else can. good point!