CREDIT KYLE, NOT TOYOTA
Toyota is enjoying success in the Sprint Cup series this year because of Kyle Busch. Without Kyle’s seven wins Toyota would only have one. And guess what the stats would be if Kyle had decided to take this year off?
Check out my Friday column for the results. Look to the left and click on “Jeff’s columns.”
MARKETERS NEED SAFER WALLS
Marketing directors for motor sports teams, tracks and race series should begin lining their work cubicles with safer barriers.
As bad as the economy is, the racing world is beginning to see sponsors crash and burn. At best, it’s going to be a rough ride.
Consider these items:
* Speedway Motorsports Inc. — which owns seven Cup tracks including Las Vegas Motor Speedway — has fallen from a 52-week high of $41.68 a share to about $18.
* General Motors, whose stock has fallen to near record lows, will reduce spending on motor sports sponsorships.
On Tuesday, GM said it would cut overall costs by $10 billion, suspend its stock dividend and sell up to $4 billion in assets.
GM spends about $120 million to $140 million a year on NASCAR, including sponsorships and promotions, advertising, and payments to teams and drivers, according to the Web site Autoextremist.com.
The automaker already has told some Cup tracks it will not renew sponsorships.
* What impact will the sale of Anheuser-Busch to Belgium-based InBev SA for $52 billion have on motor sports? It can’t be good.
An attractive option for InBev would be to develop Budweiser Belgium Waffles ... could be a hot commodity at NASCAR tailgating parties.
Budweiser is in its first year of sponsoring the Evernham Gillett Motorsports No. 9 Sprint Cup car of Kasey Kahne, and in its 28th year of sponsoring the NHRA Top Fuel dragster owned by Kenny “Budweiser King” Bernstein, which stands as the longest-running active team/sponsor partnership in motor sports.
GOOD NASCAR NEWS
What was the most watched program on cable networks between June 30 and July 6?
A) WWE Raw
B) Boston Red Sox vs. N.Y. Yankees
C) "Law & Order: Criminal Intent"
D) None of the above.
Answer: D. The big winner was the July 5 Cup race at Daytona Beach on TNT when 4.3 million homes and 6.39 million viewers tuned in.
