[LSC9901]

The courts have now ruled that, at least for now, the 31 car can carry the AT & T logo. Obviously NASCAR and NEXTEL are not happy about this. How do you think this will change sponsorships in the future ?

[GregM]

Thats pretty messed and wrong IMO - I'd be pretty mad if I were Nextel

[LSC9901]

Hi Greg and welcome to GTG's NASCAR Forum. Hope you enjoy the forum and will post along with us. We have many, many subjects going at any given time. Make sure you check out our predictions thread and join us for our weekly live chats during each race.

[jks812]

At this rate, before long the Pepsi 400 won't allow any other soft drink sponsors in the race. Myself I don't really get it. I understand Nextel paid alot of money for main sponsor. But if you're scared of competition and don't want any, why sponsor a competitive sport such as Nascar.
Besides everybody knew the Cingular car was now AT&T even without the decals. I'm glad they won it.
Nextel doesn't always make sense anyway. Just like when they said Motorola couldn't sponsor Robby cause they were a competitor. But yet they sell Motorola phones and Motorola don't provide cell service.

[wardfan]

I think the whole lawsuit thing by Nextel is bogus. It's not like they didn't know there were competing companies already sponsering cars. What real difference does it make if the 31 car has the cingular on the hood or the AT &T? What about Alltell? Nextel signed on in essence to have the "biggest sign". But that shouldn't give them the right to what amounts to posting it overtop of somebody elses sign. What's next, in the Pepsi 400 nobody can show anything with coke on it?

[Nevadastars]

I think Burtons car looks good and love it when BIG MONEY (Nextel/Na$car) don't get their way. I hope Jeff runs up front and they have no choice but to put it on camera.....

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

The courts have now ruled that, at least for now, the 31 car can carry the AT & T logo. Obviously NASCAR and NEXTEL are not happy about this. How do you think this will change sponsorships in the future ?

I see both sides of this one.

NEXTEL pays beau coup dollars for EXCLUSIVE rights to advertise via NASCAR.

If I were sponsoring, say an entire baseball little league and one of my competitors wanted to put his logo on a teams uniform on my nickle (I bought the entire league so I can consider it my personal property), I'd say not "No!," but "Hell No!" Money buys you a lot of privilege (Ask Paris Hilton about that one).

On the flip side, if I were just a spectator of the league, or if my boy just played on one of the teams, I'd have a tendency to care less about the financial side of the thing. I don't have a business interest in the thing, so just let the kids play ball.

Another view would be that if I were a competitor of the league sponsor and I couldn't sponsor a team, it'd feel a lot like an advertising monopoly to me and I'd probably be a trifle P.O.'d.

I guess it's kind of like the parable of the five blind men trying to describe an elephant by feel; it'd depend on which part you were feeling as to how you described the thing.

[Racer Duck]

Yeah Bob .. clarity at last!!!

But I have a question: has anybody seen or heard a statement from Nextel on this matter? All I remember is NA$CAR making noise and raising a hissy-fit over the deal .. I just don't remember any statements from Nextel...

[Phils20]

I understand that why NASCAR is mad, but it just doesn't seem like the right move in these times to restrict drivers with good sponsors from putting them on the car.

No one will ever forget that Nextel sponsors the series.

I haven't put Sunoco gas in my vehicles since the flap over Harvicks car. And the only reason I use Nextel phones is that work provides me with one free, or I would boycott them.

I try my best to support NASCAR sponsors, but not when they act like dictators. I hope Harvick and Burton win often the rest of the year. I can't imagine those two strong cars not running.

NASCAR should sell the brand, and the drivers should never be restricted as to what is on the car.

Just my 2 cents! I'm sure that clashes with some folks idea of right, but it's where I stand.

[LSC9901]

If I am incorrect on this one I believe someone will correct me. The reason the 12 car gets to have the Alltell sponsor is because it was grandfathered.

My feeling is, as a spectator, I either go to the track or watch it on TV to see the race. If you think about it there are probably half the cars in the field that you cannot recall exactly who the sponsor is. Obviously they are the drivers that don't get a lot of air time but it just re-enforces the point that many watch the races to see the race. I couldn't care less if they had no sponsors. When there is an incident I look for the number and not the sponsor. If I choose not to shop at Home Depot it really isn't about Tony Stewart. I have no problem supporting NASCAR sponsors but if I choose not to it has more to do with other dislikes versus the driver. Furthermore for my 2 cents worth I don't care who sponsors NASCAR. It can be the American Standard Toilet Bowl Cup for all I care. "Show me the race !!!"

[Phils20]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

If I am incorrect on this one I believe someone will correct me. The reason the 12 car gets to have the Alltell sponsor is because it was grandfathered.

My feeling is, as a spectator, I either go to the track or watch it on TV to see the race. If you think about it there are probably half the cars in the field that you cannot recall exactly who the sponsor is. Obviously they are the drivers that don't get a lot of air time but it just re-enforces the point that many watch the races to see the race. I couldn't care less if they had no sponsors. When there is an incident I look for the number and not the sponsor. If I choose not to shop at Home Depot it really isn't about Tony Stewart. I have no problem supporting NASCAR sponsors but if I choose not to it has more to do with other dislikes versus the driver. Furthermore for my 2 cents worth I don't care who sponsors NASCAR. It can be the American Standard Toilet Bowl Cup for all I care. "Show me the race !!!"

I believe you are right about the #12 sponsor. That is why Cingular was allowed to stay as well, I thought. Part of the reason why this crap now is a big issue!

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

If I am incorrect on this one I believe someone will correct me. The reason the 12 car gets to have the Alltell sponsor is because it was grandfathered.

My feeling is, as a spectator, I either go to the track or watch it on TV to see the race. If you think about it there are probably half the cars in the field that you cannot recall exactly who the sponsor is. Obviously they are the drivers that don't get a lot of air time but it just re-enforces the point that many watch the races to see the race. I couldn't care less if they had no sponsors. When there is an incident I look for the number and not the sponsor. If I choose not to shop at Home Depot it really isn't about Tony Stewart. I have no problem supporting NASCAR sponsors but if I choose not to it has more to do with other dislikes versus the driver. Furthermore for my 2 cents worth I don't care who sponsors NASCAR. It can be the American Standard Toilet Bowl Cup for all I care. "Show me the race !!!"

Correct on the Alltell matter. If you remember there was a minor controversy about this when NexTel took over. Roush was in the final chapters of signing AT&T as a sponsor for one of his cars and the deal couldn't be put through before NexTel put their names on the contract. I might be wrong but I seem to remember a similar problem with Southern Bell wanting to become a secondary sponsor on Joe Nemechek's MB2 car and the NexTel deal squashed that one too.

Personally, I think it's all kind of trite but funny. These mobile communication companies remind me of the dot com companies of the last decade and the first part of this one. The companies themselves are about as stable as Brittany Spears or a Hollywood marriage.

NASCAR keeps a tight rein on what can and can not be on one of its cars. A few years ago a prophylatic maker was on a BGN car for one race. I read where they sold themselves to NASCAR by terming themselves "A nationally advertised maker of synthetic materials."

And, of course, how could we forget the episode of two years ago when one of the field fillers brought a car sponsored by Beaudreaux's Butt Paste? I'm still not sure what that product does but it boggles the imagination.

Now I believe the one hard and fast rule NASCAR is exercising is "No Political Sponsors!" I think Kirk Shelmerdine was turned away because his car was a rolling political poster for some guy campaigning for a Virgina Congressional seat.

[GregM]

Yeah thats a good point - I bet if Jeff is NOT upfront his camera time will goto zilch - kinda screwing himself by "screwing" the sponsor

[Racer X]

I found this very interesting this morning….. It seems that AT&T bought Cingular back in January. At that time, they said they would begin rebranding immediately, but they didn’t. They filed suit against NASCAR on March 20th and the ruling finally came down this weekend. This morning, my local news was talking about how all of the Cingular stores are going to be rebranded this week. It appears that AT&T waited on the NASCAR ruling before rebranding their entire organization.

I think that speaks volumes about how much these sponsors value NASCAR in advertising plans. It seems that NASCAR is at the heart of AT&T’s marketing plan.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer X

I found this very interesting this morning….. It seems that AT&T bought Cingular back in January. At that time, they said they would begin rebranding immediately, but they didn’t. They filed suit against NASCAR on March 20th and the ruling finally came down this weekend. This morning, my local news was talking about how all of the Cingular stores are going to be rebranded this week. It appears that AT&T waited on the NASCAR ruling before rebranding their entire organization.

I think that speaks volumes about how much these sponsors value NASCAR in advertising plans. It seems that NASCAR is at the heart of AT&T’s marketing plan.

Thanks Racer, I hadn't heard nor read that. It does seem that AT&T is putting a lot of eggs in the NASCAR basket, doesn't it?

AT&T must be awfully confident about the final outcome. I read that NexTel is finally joining NASCAR in its suit to keep the AT&T logo off the #31. There must be a lot more legal arguing to be done.

If the current ruling stands, and AT&T stays, I bet there is a lawyer in the firm which represents NASCAR's business interests, which loses his seat in the partners dining room.

What would make great reading, good theater and get NASCAR a whole lot of press would be if this gets pushed far enough. and it is considered "ripe" enough, for the Twelve Exalted Incompetents (actually a number less than twelve but the exact number has yet to be determined) which make up our Imperial Supreme Court to hear the case.