Five Sponsors Who Might Become the New Nationwide Series Sponsor
Last year, Nationwide announced they were not going to be sponsoring the Nationwide series after this season. This leaves a pretty big void for NASCAR, and it’s going to be interesting to watch how negotiations for the new title sponsor go. Now that the 10 year TV contracts have been signed and the new Chase format has been unveiled, I guarantee that the search for a new series sponsor is at the top of NASCAR’s priorities for this season.
Here’s a look at five sponsors that have a reasonable chance of sponsoring the series in 2015 and beyond. Note that most NASCAR sponsors have some sort of agreement with NASCAR itself (Like how Coca-Cola is the Official Soft Drink of NASCAR), and competitors (Like Pepsi) are thus locked out of negotiating for a series sponsorship (But not for a team sponsorship, like Pepsi’s long relationship with Hendrick Motorsports).
Before I start this list, here’s one that will not be happening. I’m putting it here because if I don’t there’s going to be a comment below about it.
Anheuser–Busch
Not happening because, like I said above, it would be competing with an existing NASCAR series sponsor, in this case the Coors Light Pole Award. It would be great if we had a Busch Series again, but the reality is that we aren’t.
Now, here they are:
5. Best Buy
This is kind of a wildcard here, with them leaving Roush and NASCAR for the 2014 season. But could this just be gearing up for a series sponsorship in 2015? Only thing really holding it back is that Best Buy is struggling to compete against Amazon, so it’s unknown if they could even afford series sponsorship. And if they can, would NASCAR take the chance they don’t fold for a 5-7 year sponsorship deal?
4. JEGS
A little birdy (Or cone) on Twitter reported last year that the new Dale Earnhardt Jr. sponsor (He was unsponsored for 10 races technically, although Time Warner eventually took those races) was JEGS, but whomever it was going to be, it ended up falling through. Is JEGS big enough to sponsor an entire series? Maybe not, but it would do wonders for their business (mail order auto parts).
3. Goodyear or Sunoco
I put both of these companies together because I think both have a pretty equal chance at sponsoring the series. Both brands are what I like to call “true sponsors”, in that race teams actually use their products on the track, this being tires and fuel respectively. The one thing holding these brands back has to be the facts that Sunoco is a regional brand and Goodyear would have gotten the sponsorship in 2007 if they wanted it. But there’s a chance either of these companies could go into national series sponsorship at any point.
2. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola would be a great fit for the secondary series. Think the Anhesuser-Busch sponsorship, only more family friendly and a better fit for today’s NASCAR. Not every race fan can use Sprint, be covered by Nationwide, or afford an RV. But everybody, moreso than Busch or Winston, can enjoy a Coke. And it doesn’t even have to be the main Coke brand. Coca-Cola Diet Series? Coca-Cola Zero Series? How about the NASCAR Sprite Series? All very good ideas.
1. Wal-Mart
I never got why people think Wal-Mart should get into NASCAR team sponsorship. Jeff Gordon was rumored to get them as a sponsor before AARP jumped aboard, and they ran Turner-Scott Motorsport’s lone Cup series start (On the #50 Chevy with Bill Elliott behind the wheel) in 2012. But the thing is, with Wal-Mart, if you were sponsor a Kyle Busch for instance, you wouldn’t lose many customers, but you’d lose a few. With a series sponsorship however, Wal-Mart could appeal to everybody. And, like Winston, the people in the stands are their customers. That’s the real reason why this would work.
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Daniel Suárez Proud to Represent Mexico in 2014 Drive for Diversity Class
While Daniel Suárez is proud to have been chosen for NASCAR’s 2014 Drive for Diversity program, he is even prouder to represent his country of Mexico in the sport.
Suárez, a 22 year old driver from Monterrey, Mexico, will be competing for his second year with Rev Racing in the K&N Pro Series East. Last year, he finished third in the championship standings in that Series, the highest mark for an international driver in the Series’ history.
The young up and coming driver earned his first K&N Pro Series win at Columbus Motor Speedway in 2013. He was also the championship runner-up in the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series.
Suárez admits that the competition is intense in the K&N East Series. But he also feels that his strong finish last year, particularly in the second half of the season, will give him and his team just the boost they need to get out of the gate fast for 2014.
“There are many teams competing in the K&N East so that’s pretty tough and for sure there are many good teams,” Suárez said. “But I feel that Rev Racing is doing an awesome job and now with the same people as last year, we are going to start pretty strong.”
“I feel like in 2013, the start of the year was pretty difficult,” Suárez continued. “Many small things were not in the best position but in the second part of the year, we were earning more points than anyone.”
“We closed 2013 very, very strong so I feel like if we can start 2014 like that, we’re going to be pretty strong.”
One of the biggest hurdles that the driver, his crew chief Skip Eyler, and his team have had to face is communicating effectively with one another, especially in the heat of race competition.
“Last year, everything was difficult, not just for me but for my team because with me being from another country and speaking another language, it’s kind of difficult,” Suárez said. “I mean, I can speak English but when you are in the race car, with all the engine sounds, it’s kind of difficult to keep up.”
“But now I feel like our communication is good already.”
In addition to having mastered the art of conversation, Suárez is also thrilled to have his sponsor, Visit Acapulco and Tourism of Mexico, return to his race car.
“It’s awesome because when they support me, many people in Mexico are now knowing that there is a race car driver from their country and that is something,” Suárez said. “They are looking forward to being involved again because they were happy with what happened last year.”
With this young racer being unique in his country of origin, at least for so many who participate in the sport, just how did he get interested in becoming a NASCAR competitor?
“For me, it was kind of different than everyone,” Suárez said. “Normally, everyone starts because his dad or his grandpa was a race car driver or something like that but my family doesn’t come from racing.”
“I have a friend that used to race go karts,” Suárez continued. “When I was ten years old, he met me to do a practice and to hang out on the weekend. His dad started watching me and he told my family that I got some potential.”
“When I turned eleven, my dad bought me a go kart and then we started doing some races and I started winning,” Suárez said. “That was really impressive and so we did more and more races.”
“My second year racing when I was 12 years old, I went to Las Vegas actually and we ended up in the top-five getting the best Mexican driver in the States,” Suárez continued. “We started doing some international races and we went to Europe and everything that started like a hobby started changing to be my career like it is now.”
Suárez admits that he looks up to many drivers as potential role models, however, he has been humbled to be also wear the moniker of role model himself.
“There are many drivers that I want to be like them or I want to compete with them,” Suárez said. “There are many drivers out there that are really good, like Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski, not just here in America but also in Europe.”
“Well, my goal is to be the first Mexican in the top series,” Suárez continued. “I will tell you something, I was in the Hall of Fame in Charlotte signing autographs and some Mexican fans came out to ask for our autograph and I was very surprised”
“Those guys not just brought the hero card to sign but they also brought a very old picture of me when I was starting here in the States racing stock cars,” Suárez said. “And that really was really important for me because many Hispanic fans here in the States are starting to follow me and my career.”
“I mean, hopefully we can keep winning races and being in the top all the time to have more Hispanic people to follow me,” Suárez continued. “And hopefully we can make my goal of a championship come true.”
Although Suárez cannot wait for the 2014 season to start so that he can work toward achieving his goal, he is also, in one word, grateful for the opportunity.
“I want to say thank you for everyone in NASCAR for the Diversity program, Suárez said. “The luck to be part of this program in 2013, with more learning and getting the opportunity to still learn about this is awesome.”
“I’m really proud of this opportunity and looking forward for it.”
