Wheels & Deals: Crown Royal To Remain In Sprint Cup Series

Crown Royal Will Move To Matt Kenseth's No. 17 Ford Next Season

NASCAR SCENE's Bob Pockrass reported while Jack Daniel's and Jim Beam are leaving the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next season, Crown Royal is "staying with Roush Fenway Racing at half a season." Crown Royal will move to Matt Kenseth's No. 17 Ford next year, and Roush Fenway is "searching for a sponsor to pick up the other half of the season." Crown Royal also title sponsors a Sprint Cup race at Richmond Int'l Raceway, and Senior Brand Manager Rob Mason said that the NASCAR program "still works for the company." Mason: "We know almost 90[%] of (NASCAR's fans) are adults of legal drinking age, and we know that because of that, it's an extremely powerful way for us to promote our messaging." Mason added that NASCAR "continues to be a 'great platform' to convey" Crown Royal's responsible drinking campaign (SCENEDAILY.com, 9/29).

SHINING LIGHT: In Daytona Beach, Godwin Kelly wrote if GM "had any reason to cheer, it could look over to its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing program, which has become the benchmark organization of big-league, stock-car racing." GM officials "at every turn during the crisis" that led to it filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy said that they "would continue the company's support of its NASCAR program." Godwin wrote one "can see that loyalty in the face of adversity is paying hefty dividends." Four Chevy drivers are "among the top five in points" (NEWS-JOURNALONLINE.com, 9/29).

PRICE TO PLAY: Toyota F1 team Principal Tadashi Yamashina in a report in Japan's Yomiuri newspaper said that the car manufacturer "might decide to pull out" of F1. He added that the "cost of competing in F1 is an issue." Yamashina: "We need to turn it into a F1 where you don't need so much money. ... We'll have to consider various issues while bearing in mind our ties with the main (Toyota) company" (MOTORSPORT.com, 9/30).