Aimee
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The National Guard said Wednesday it will end its sponsorship of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and IndyCar’s Graham Rahal, but it is not clear when that goes into effect.
Hendrick Motorsports said in a statement it has a contract through 2015.
“We have not been approached by the guard about potential changes and plan to honor our current agreement,” the team said.
Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, said in a statement he learned of the guard’s decision on Wednesday. He called it disappointing news “given the significant incremental brand exposure we have worked to produce for the National Guard in our first season together, including various off-track marketing and advertising programs focused on supporting the mission set forth.”
The guard said in a statement posted on its website it spent $32 million on its NASCAR sponsorship and $12 million on its IndyCar sponsorship this year, and noted that “sports sponsorships have played an important role in helping the guard build strong brand awareness.” But, the guard statement said its sponsorship contracts in NASCAR and IndyCar “are set to expire at the end of the current season,” which contradicts the Hendrick claim.
“Significantly constrained resources and the likelihood of further reductions in the future call for more innovative and cost-effective ways of doing business,” Maj. Gen. Judd H. Lyons, acting director of the Army National Guard, said in the statement.
Military funding has come under increased scrutiny in Congress as Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo, has called the sponsorship “wasting a bunch of money on a very expensive sports sponsorship.”
