Sprint Nextel reiterates committment to NASCAR

By Bob Pockrass
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
$util.encode.html($content.photo.alt)

DAVID GRIFFIN / NASCAR SCENE

Sprint Nextel officials Tuesday reiterated the company's commitment to NASCAR despite the recent merger of the two companies and the pending departure of two marketing executives who handled Sprint Nextel's management of its Nextel Cup sponsorship.

Mark Schweitzer, the chief marketing officer from Sprint Nextel, said the company has no plans to back away from its 10-year deal (reportedly $75 million per year) that began in 2004 to sponsor the Nextel Cup Series. Schweitzer said there are not many outs in the contract and added that the sponsorship cannot be transferred and it cannot be sold. Sprint Nextel also has contracts with the tracks and is also committed to spend an undisclosed amount of advertising in conjunction with the sponsorship.

"We at Nextel were not naïve about what a changing technology environment it was, and we remain comfortable with those commitments," Schweitzer said.

Sprint and Nextel completed their merger in 2005, and the series name is expected to change. Schweitzer said original plans called for a decision on whether to make a name change by last February, but that decision has been delayed until "the middle of this year."

"We want to make sure that, if we were to make a change, it isn't detrimental to the equity that we've built up, particularly in support of our Nextel product," Schweitzer said.

Schweitzer was speaking an attempt to dispel questions about the company's commitment to the sport with the pending departure of Michael Robichaud, vice president for sports marketing and Nextel Cup program marketing manager Jill Gregory.

Gregory is going to Bank of America to help activate its NASCAR sponsorships, while Robichaud plans to pursue other opportunities.

Post a Comment

Disclaimer: All comments are subject to filtering for language, and libelous content. Comments are intended to encourage spirited debate and discussion about the subject matter contained within the articles and ARE NOT intended for personal or demeaning attacks directed at other users. We reserve the right to remove any comments deemed inappropriate. Users who violate this policy may be banned from posting comments on the site.

Comment Preview

Nov 8, 2009 at 2:11 PM
You said:

You must login before you can post comments or rate content.

If you don't have an account you can create a free one here.

2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings

Driver Standings after the AMP Energy 500

1 Jimmie Johnson 6248
2 Mark Martin -184
3 Jeff Gordon -192
4 Juan Pablo Montoya -239
5 Tony Stewart -279
6 Kurt Busch -312
7 Greg Biffle -340
8 Ryan Newman -402
9 Kasey Kahne -414
10 Carl Edwards -437
11 Denny Hamlin -448
12 Brian Vickers -556

More by this Author

NASCAR Schedules

abc

Dickies 500

Texas Motor Speedway
03:31 PM, 11/08/2009

Poll PositionView All

Which NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner from the past two seasons is most likely to earn his first victory of 2009 in the next three races?

Promotions

  • Play "WIX Filters' Pick 3" stock car fantasy and win prizes. Season 2 is now in session!

  • Tweet your thoughts about each race and join the conversation with other fans.

  • Drive an authentic NASCAR Sprint Cup car at the NASCAR Racing Experience.

  • Cast your vote for the NASCAR Illustrated 2009 Person of the Year, presented by Old Spice.

  • Make weekly pics for the Chase and be entered to win weekly SPEED Merchandise.

NASCAR Community Join the Community

In the Forums View All

Presented by

Don't have an account yet?

Insiders Guide to NASCAR

Register with SceneDaily.com and get access to the following features:

  • FREE Insider’s Guide to NASCAR (available as a PDF download)
  • Daily NASCAR news updates delivered directly to your e-mail
  • Pre-race and Post-race emails delivered each race week
  • Ability to comment on blog and news articles
  • Information on new website features and upcoming contests
Create my Account

Login

Forgot Password?
Login or Create an Account