Keep the Sponsors Happy
With the clamour for major sponsors so intense it makes the recent goings on at Michael Waltrip Racing even more worrying for them. After the incidents at Richmond and the subsequent penalties that NASCAR issued to MWR that caused Martin Truex Jr to be removed from the Chase the primary sponsor NAPA have decided to withdraw from their sponsorship deal with the team. Having only recently signed a new deal with the MWR, so they weren’t looking around for a new sponsor, the 56 teams very existence has now been thrown into turmoil. NAPA were the only sponsor for the 56 team so with only four months until the start of the 2014 season it leaves MWR very little time to find a new one. They will not be able to find a company that will sponsor the car for the entire season so must now start a grind of finding as many new partners as they can. Michael Waltrip has already admitted that MWR might not be a three car team next year and that puts Truex Jr, the only innocent party in the whole MWR ‘plan’ in a very difficult position.
Jun 23, 2013; Sonoma, CA, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (56) celebrates after winning the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
While Truex Jr has said that he would be more than happy to stay at MWR next year if no sponsors can be found then he might not have a car to drive. He still also has a very good relationship with NAPA, in fact he did a personal appearance for them on the day they announced they were leaving MWR, so could he take the sponsor to another team? NAPA would more than likely want to continue being the only sponsor and the team that jumps out is of course the 78 of Furniture Row Racing, could they run a second car or have stay a one car team with NAPA. That will be down to team owner Barney Visser and if he wants to lose having his company featured on a car, who it should also be noted have just done a sponsorship deal with Wonder bread again for the October Talladega race. What ever happens with the 56 team I just hope that Truex Jr is able to be in a car for 2014.
NAPA isn’t the only sponsor concern that MWR has had problems with as the 15’s car primary sponsor 5 Hour Energy has stated that they are also considering their position in light of NASCAR’s rulings.
"“We’ll see how the year plays out,” said company president Scott Henderson"
Jul 12, 2013; Loudon, NH, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer (15) during practice for the Camping World RV Sales 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
But on the positive side for MWR it seems that 5 Hour Energy’s concerns are more to do with NASCAR in general and their level of integrity then with specific issues with MWR.
"“There’s a lot of talk about integrity,” he said. “When the guy who’s in charge can say, ‘I can do whatever I want and I’m going to do it and I just did,’ I wonder about integrity. I want to make sure we can win in this sport,…”"
If they do leave the sport than MWR are in real trouble and could go from a three car team to a one car and it just goes to show how important sponsors are to the sport. They not only allow fans to watch their drivers race every weekend but they also pay for the teams employees which is everyone from the guy who goes over the wall to change a tyre to the person answering the phone at the workshops. Sponsorship effects everyone involved in the sport so next time someone says they’re boycotting a product or store or want a sponsor to leave a team because of the actions of a team just remind them that the people who stand to lose the most aren’t the millionaire owners and drivers it’s the fans and the workers just trying to earn a living in these tough times.