September 6, 2005
NASCAR Nextel Cup to NASCAR Sprint Cup
(Filed under: Business)Even though Nextel signed a 10-year deal when it took over the primary sponsorship of NASCAR's elite cup series from R.J. Reynolds' Winston brand in 2003, we could see another series name change by 2007. Sprint and Nextel have merged and plan to use the Sprint name in the future. For 2006 it will continue to be the NASCAR Nextel Cup, but it could be the NASCAR Sprint Cup starting in 2007. An official announcment could be made before the 2006 Daytona 500.
The long reign of Winston as the primary sponsor resulted in NASCAR's top series being known simply as "Winston Cup". In 2003 you could almost feel the tension as media and fans alike got used to the idea of the top series being called the "Nextel Cup," and quickly adapted to calling it the "Cup series" since the sponsor could easily change. It's a good move for the media, though probably makes the sponsorship less enticing.
My question is when will the Busch series see a similar move? Already NASCAR refers to the Truck and Cup series, avoiding the confusion of sponsor changes. But what will we call the Busch series when Busch beer moves on? I think the "Grand National series" was its original name, though that hardly seems to mean much anymore.
Posted by kevin at September 6, 2005 1:25 PM
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