NASCAR makes it easy

NASCAR makes it so easy every week to do our radio show.  Thank you NASCAR!  Every week some new and wacky scenario permeates the NASCAR garage.  First we had Mikey-gate; then they got some help from the politicians in Washington state with some of the wildest comments about NASCAR ever.  The "off week" controversy was next, followed by Las Vegas and the whole tire/Tony Stewart fiasco.

Just when you thought it was safe to go to Atlanta and get back to some "normalcy"  we have this weeks controversy--"Sponsor-gate".  Richard Childress Racing has known for some time that Nextel and NASCAR were going to have a hard time allowing them to change the decals on the #31 from Cingular to AT&T, but the whole controversy surfaced again this week, with court action promised.  Normally I wouldn't have a problem backing Nextel on this one; after all, Nextel said what the deal was and is just sticking to their original contract.  Nancy Resendez-Battra concurs with yours truley.  You can get her complete thoughts at http://www.racetrackladies.com/.

As you and I both know NASCAR has the final say in anything and everything related to their sport.  Especially something related to the merger of Nextel and Sprint.  Mark Schweitzer, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Nextel in 2004 had stated “while the deal anticipated that the name might need to change, there is a restriction on the number of times and on NASCAR’s flexibility in doing so.”  He also stated in the option of another potential name change “it would be hard for me to imagine a circumstance where we could not all get comfortable.”  

The above statement is pointed out specifically for the one phrase “anticipated the name might need to change.”  Nextel did their homework and the legal department wrangled in the opportunity to be purchased buy another company.  It is also interesting that they have not to date made the specific name change to the Cup Series.  What is delaying the name change?  Is it the other distractions of the legal ramifications of the original contract signed between NASCAR and Nextel?  The three key original Nextel contract negotiators are now gone.  Those conversations and intent left with them. 

Where it all gets mucked up is when you (Nextel) let everyone know that you will, in all likelihood, change YOUR title sponsorship name for 2008 because of your merger/buy out/name change.  If the Nextel Cup can become the Sprint Cup next year, why can't AT&T decals replace Cingulars?  I have no problem with NASCAR and Nextel not allowing any other wireless sponsors to enter the series, but in this case we are looking strictly at a name change.  This is the epitome of the "pot calling the kettle black".

To add a little more fuel to the fire, NASCAR was all set to not allow Robby Gordon to carry the Motorola brand on his car because of the same "non compete" clause.  This one is a little murky to me.  The last I checked, Motorola provided

Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR

phones for many cellular networks (Nextel included), and was not providing cellular service.  What will NASCAR do in a couple of weeks when the "Samsung 500" rolls around in Texas?  Samsung is a huge supplier of phones.  Is it OK for NASCAR to secure a company with ties to the cell phone industry as a title sponsor for one of its races, yet not OK for one of its fledgling teams to do the same for its team sponsorship?

Again--NASCAR's waffling on its rules has made it all but impossible to figure out what is next.  See --it's just too easy.  Oh yeah--its time for the Car of Tomorrow to become the Car of Today.  This should be fun.

Steve

Comments

[Man In Black]

Steve...Your comments are not surprising given NASCAR's ability to make inconsistentsy their only consistent. Plus there's ALWAYS someone out there willing to sue someone else when they don't get their own way. How else do you think John Edwards is able to build his 28,200 square foot house on those 102 acres of land? Suing people! This is why yours truly would rather watch Dale Earnhardt Sr race in old ESPN Classic footage than endure the bordom of todays pussified (can I say that?) politically correct NASCAR. In fact, I'm beginning to think that stolen car police chase videos on Spike TV are more exciting than NASCAR these days. Especially when you consider the rapidly approaching premier of the COT. But lets call it what it really is. It's an OGS! Over Grown Sedan. With a splitter and a wing no less. Brian, have another snort. You'll never miss the fans moving on to other interests. Like stolen car police chase videos. MIB

[charlie]

Damn, but Robbie's car looked good. How is it that Alltel doesn't run afoul of this deal? And am I the only one who is waiting to see if the CoT gives us better racing? To me, the car is a better shade of ugly than what we have now. Wings are NOT NEW and if they didn't name the FRONT SPOILER a splitter I doubt that most fans would even notice the thing.