Wheels & Deals: JR Motorsports Looks To Solidify Sponsorships

Bires Most Likely Will Drive JRM's No. 88 In '10, Sponsorship 75-80% Complete

JR Motorsports (JRM) co-Owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said that sponsorship is 75-80% complete for Kelly Bires, who “most likely” will drive the team’s No. 88 Nationwide Series car in '10. Earnhardt said that he “expects sponsorship for Bires to be completed in the next three weeks, while sponsorship for the team’s No. 5 car, typically driven by multiple drivers, is ‘wide open’ as the team continues trying to solidify its 2010 plans.” NASCAR SCENE's Bob Pockrass noted JR Motorsports has not announced its sponsor lineup for ’10, “although Unilever joined the organization last year in a multiyear deal.” GoDaddy.com has sponsored the team’s No. 88 car this season, but announced Friday that it will sponsor Mark Martin's No. 5 Sprint Cup entry for 20 races next year. Also, former JRM sponsor Fastenal has announced it will back Carl Edwards' No. 60 Nationwide Series car next season. But Earnhardt said there is still a “possibility GoDaddy.com could have some involvement with his team” (SCENEDAILY.com, 9/19).

OIL CHANGE: Lucas Oil Products has signed a multi-year agreement renewing its title sponsorship of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series through ’12. The company also will continue its designation as the “Official Oil of NHRA” and its presenting sponsorship of ESPN2’s “NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil” (NHRA).

WHO'S THE BOSS? In Charlotte, Jim Utter noted driver Kasey Kahne “couldn’t come up with an answer” when asked who the decision maker is at Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) since the team's announced merger with Yates Racing and the “subsequent release” of VP & Managing Dir of Competition Mark McArdle. Kahne: “There are not a lot of answers out there right now. I don’t know if that’s because we’re in the middle of a lot of things, but we just don’t seem to have a person in that position. I think [RPM Exec Dir of Racing Operations] Robbie Loomis is supposedly going to be that guy, but I don’t think that he is yet. Is it [RPM Principal Foster Gillett]? You can't get anything out of Foster” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/19).

TURN THE CAR AROUND: The CHARLOTTE OBSERVER’s Utter wrote instead of sending the Chase for the Sprint Cup qualifiers to N.Y. to “perform in some demeaning skits on national TV,” NASCAR should “send the No. 1 seed and the ‘regular season’ champion to New York to promote the Chase and send the 10 other drivers to the 10 media markets which will host Chase races.” Utter: “A little extra publicity to help sell tickets can’t be a bad thing, and would be a far better use of the drivers’ time” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/20).