Remington Arms Co. announced its six-year sponsorship
deal with Dale Earnhardt Inc., which includes a personal
endorsement contract with Earnhardt as well as an associate
sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt Jr., according to the AP. The
agreement with Earnhardt is effective immediately, while the
associate sponsorship with Earnhardt Jr. begins next season
(AP, 6/12). Earnhardt Jr., whose primary sponsor is
Budweiser, "acknowledged that some concerns have been raised
about the pairing of a beer company with a gun
manufacturer." Earnhardt Jr.: "A lot of people have touched
on their curiosity of the two sponsors on one car, but I
think it gives us a great opportunity to promote a positive
attitude of using both responsibly" (TIMES-DISPATCH, 6/12).
RJR'S NASCAR ROLE: In Winston-Salem, Mike Mulhern wrote
that while RJ Reynolds' "decision to drop" its Winston
brand's sponsorship of the Travis Carter-owned Winston Cup
Ford driven by Jimmy Spencer "didn't surprise" the team, it
"does have some people" in NASCAR "wondering, again, about
the stability" of the company's "long-running sponsorship"
of the series. It is "unclear" how the move will affect
RJR's sports marketing staff (WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL, 6/12).
HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD? Universal Studios announced its
sponsorship of the Cale Yarborough-owned Ford driven by Rick
Mast and placed its Woody Woodpecker character on the
vehicle (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/12)....NASCAR officials told
the owners of the Kevin Lepage-driven Ford to take off the
decal of team sponsor TV Guide, which featured Sable, a
female WWF "character," because it "showed a little too much
skin." A revised version of the decal was put on for
yesterday's Kmart 400 in MI (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/14).
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The fourth "NASCAR Cafe" will open
Tuesday in Sevier County, TN. There are already NASCAR
Cafes in Myrtle Beach, Nashville and Orlando, and another is
slated to open in Las Vegas in December (NASCAR).
