NASCAR Chairman: Still hope for Monster Energy renewal
By Nick Tylwalk
One of the bigger issues facing NASCAR this season can still come to a satisfying conclusion, according to the man in charge.
Will this be the last year that NASCAR’s top level of competition is called the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series? The fact that we still don’t know is starting to get a little worrisome.
If NASCAR execs are panicking, they aren’t doing it publicly. It could be to avoid making the sport look like it’s desperate, but it’s equally likely they know something we don’t.
In any case, NASCAR Chairman Brian France told the “SiriusXM Speedway” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (via NBC Sports) that he remained confident that Monster Energy would eventually decide to stick around after 2018.
"“They have had a really good run with us, and we’ve had a good run with them, and my hope and feeling is that that’s going to continue. They’ve been good partners. They’re bringing a lot to the sport. They’ve got a lot on their plate and so do we. We’re working with them to make sure that we have as long an agreement as we can. I think we will. I think it’s working that good for everybody. I’m real pleased with it.’’"
France also noted that Monster has only been in the sport for one year as a title sponsor, which is why NASCAR wanted to give the company plenty of time to make its call. He did, however, hint that there would be a deadline at some point, though previous deadlines have reportedly been extended twice already.
Regardless of how this situation plays out, even the fact that it’s a discussion is a sign of how things have changed for stock car racing, which had the luxury of having just two title sponsors for the Cup Series from 1971 through 2016: Winston and Nextel/Sprint (which counts as one since Sprint inherited sponsorship after buying Nextel). Now it could be facing the very real possibility of having two more in just three years.
Next: NASCAR drops use of the word encumbered
In other words, just when we got used to calling it the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, we might need to learn to say something else. For that reason alone, we’re kind of rooting for a renewal.