Visa Says No Truth To Reports Of Deal With Dale Jr.

By Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large

A Visa spokesperson today refuted reports that the payment card company was close to a deal to become Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s new primary sponsor. “We haven’t even had conversations," said Visa spokesperson J.J. Carter. “Visa remains committed to NASCAR, but we are not becoming a primary sponsor or any kind of sponsor with Dale Jr. or any NASCAR driver." Visa, a NASCAR sponsor since '99, renewed its series sponsorship last year through 2011 and has a track deal with Daytona Int'l Speedway through ISC. “NASCAR is a great affiliation, but our role is very much of a co-brand [with Bank of America having picked up additional category rights]," Carter said. Across the sports landscape, Visa is a heavy sponsorship spender, with pricey Olympic and NFL deals, but throughout its NASCAR affiliation it has stayed away from driver sponsorships. It used both Kurt Busch and Rusty Wallace in ads that ran during the '04 and '05 NASCAR seasons. Visa has also run NASCAR spots with drivers Cale Yarborough, Bobby and Donnie Allison, and Dale Jarrett