New Sponsors, Interactive Service For TNT's NASCAR Coverage

Turner Sports has signed Coors Light, Coca-Cola, Papa John's and Warner Bros. for TNT's second annual "Wide Open Coverage" telecast of the July 5 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 at Daytona Int'l Speedway, according to John Consoli of MEDIAWEEK. The new companies join returning sponsors Toyota, Sprint and Subway. Turner officials said that two other sponsors are "expected to be announced shortly." TNT starting with Sunday's Pocono 500 will air six consecutive Sprint Cup races, and Turner Sports Exec VP/Ad Sales Trish Frohman said that the net "for the first time also has presenting sponsors for five of the six" telecasts, including EAS Sports, LifeLock, Toyota and Coca-Cola. Frohman added that the net has sold about 80% of "traditional 30 second spots across all six races" (MEDIAWEEK, 6/2 issue).

WHEELS & DEALS: Champion Mortgage will sponsor Michael Waltrip Racing's (MWR) No. 00 Sprint Cup Toyota driven by Michael McDowell for a minimum of 10 races, starting with the Pocono 500 (MWR)....StandOut Productions Inc. (SOP) President Chelsea Cooley, the '05 Miss USA, said SOP recently started consulting for NASCAR and works with Craftsman Truck team Owner Stacy Compton. Cooley: "We do motivational team-building with them. We want to branch off to a lot of other race teams out there. Even the Speed Network has been following us" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/1).