Beginning with the 2008 season, Sprint will replace Nextel as title sponsor of NASCAR's premiere racing series, multiple high-ranking industry sources told ESPN.com on condition of anonymity.
The series will be known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, sources said.
NASCAR declined comment.
Dean Kessel, Sprint's NASCAR marketing director, denied the claims, and said Sprint/Nextel is still sorting the proposition out with NASCAR. Kessel also said that multiple outstanding details must be finalized internally before a decision can be made either way.
This would mark the third name since 2003 for NASCAR's Cup Series.
From 1972-2003, the Cup Series was sponsored by R.J. Reynolds tobacco through its Winston cigarette brand. Then, starting in 2004, Nextel assumed the naming rights to the most popular racing series in the United States.
Sprint and Nextel agreed to a $36 billion merger in December 2004.
The series will be known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, sources said.
NASCAR declined comment.
Dean Kessel, Sprint's NASCAR marketing director, denied the claims, and said Sprint/Nextel is still sorting the proposition out with NASCAR. Kessel also said that multiple outstanding details must be finalized internally before a decision can be made either way.
This would mark the third name since 2003 for NASCAR's Cup Series.
From 1972-2003, the Cup Series was sponsored by R.J. Reynolds tobacco through its Winston cigarette brand. Then, starting in 2004, Nextel assumed the naming rights to the most popular racing series in the United States.
Sprint and Nextel agreed to a $36 billion merger in December 2004.
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Philadelphia
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Re: Nascar changing Series name......
Wed, June 27, 2007 - 3:16 AMHmm... I heard someone on the NASCAR Sirius channel last week talking about how they had a proprietary deal with Nextel and were going to try and ban every other communications company from sponsoring cars.
Where did this turnabout come from?
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Re: Nascar changing Series name......
Wed, June 27, 2007 - 11:36 AMWhy cannot they just leave well enough alone. NASCAR is NASCAR. I guess it is all about money! Those who have the most can do what they wish. -
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Re: Nascar changing Series name......
Thu, June 28, 2007 - 3:04 PMthere's a laundry list of reasons for the change....but it comes down to the GOD--Good Old DOLLAR! They need a BIG sponsor to fund the races & such for this sport (the only one that does btw it seems). Besides, since sprint & nextel merged, it was only a matter of time b4 they changed it.
As for excluding other phone co's from sponsoring...oh grow UP!!! Altell's been in it for god only knows how long, cingular was in it b4 it was nextel series (my memory may be amiss there), and the list goes on!! Excluding one sponsor just paves the way for more companies to raise hell to restrict THEIR competitors! Coke vs. Pepsi ring a bell? or even Lowe's vs. Home Depot??? Come on, NASCAR's got better & bigger things to worry about than sponsorship whiners!!
Of course, they COULD just call the Cup series...THE CUP SERIES! and the Busch series....I dunno...MISHMOSH SERIES (since the Cup guys can be in it--I don't think that's fair, but just imo).
Just my 2 cents though
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Re: Nascar changing Series name......
Thu, June 28, 2007 - 5:07 PMAnd a stupid battle continues.
It is regoddamndiculus that is is ok for Nextel to become Sprint, but not ok for Cingular to become AT&T.
Let the waste and lawsuits begin.
Idiots
From 6/18/07
www.engadget.com/2007/06/1...future-te/
Brian France and friends have filed a $100 million countersuit against AT&T.
"NASCAR officials attempted to prohibit the "new" AT&T from rebranding Jeff Burton's Cingular car -- an attempt that was thwarted in a US District Court last month."
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Re: Nascar changing Series name......
Wed, July 11, 2007 - 5:09 AMWhy can't they just call it the NASCAR Cup Series??? Just leave the sponsor out of it, since now that it aint Winston series, who cares anymore? after the stink they made about the 31 car, i'm a disappointed at the childish attitude Nextel/Sprint has over things. GImme a break!
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