Could a Monster Energy NASCAR renewal announcement be coming this weekend?
By Nick Tylwalk
NASCAR could really use some good news to tout on the business side, and there’s reason to think some big positive PR could be coming any day.
Even when NASCAR has exciting business-related news to announce, as it did this week with word that Busch Beer had claimed the dormant “Official Beer of NASCAR” title, it often is balanced out by something depressing. This week, that was Lowe’s leaving the sport, meaning that it would be really great if word came down of a Monster Energy renewal agreement.
One of the reasons that hasn’t happened yet is because all indications are that Monster simply hadn’t made up its mind yet. But there are signs that maybe it’s on the way to staying in NASCAR, and perhaps an announcement could come as soon as this weekend.
Let’s start by saying this is purely in the realm of speculation, but it’s based in a kernel of reporting from one of the journalists who would definitely know, SportsBusiness Journal‘s Adam Stern.
Optimism over @MonsterEnergy's chances of renewing with @NASCAR has crept back into some industry execs close to the deal in recent days.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) March 16, 2018
— Unclear if renewal on the table is for one or two years.
— No word from $MNST, NASCAR.
— Monster's home race is this weekend @ACSupdates. pic.twitter.com/L6oxxIV2A2
Here’s where the tea leaf-reading comes in. There’s optimism about Monster Energy renewing its NASCAR sponsorship. Auto Club Speedway is Monster’s home track. Wouldn’t it make perfect sense to have the announcement take place there this weekend?
It definitely would, but that obviously requires the deal to be either done or in the home stretch. Considering how long it’s taken to come together, that might be hoping for too much. Then again, deals can close quickly in the world of big business, and NASCAR seems like it’s already given Monster plenty of concessions, not the least of which is a ton of additional time to decide if it wants to remain such a large presence in the sport.
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For the sake of planning for 2019, for the optics of having Monster Energy unveil a new deal to the racing world on its home turf and because NASCAR could use the PR win right about now, this is almost too logical not to happen. Let’s hope it does, as it would allow everyone from fans to race teams to journalists to focus strictly on racing for the rest of the year, or at least until Silly Season starts up in earnest.