Chrysler’s Dodge brand left NASCAR this year, but the company signed a sponsorship with Las Vegas Motor Speedway that will make Dodge the track’s official vehicle in '13. Financial terms of the deal were not available. Dodge has been sponsoring the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup race at LVMS since '01. In addition to Dodge’s sponsorship of the Sprint Cup weekend, Chrysler’s Mopar Parts brand will sponsor the speedway’s drag strip, its Ram or Jeep brand will sponsor the dirt track, and its Fiat brand will be featured on a billboard near the highway outside the track. Chrysler Motorsports Marketing & Operations Dir Beth Paretta said that the ability to align so many brands with different areas of the track was key to the deal. Chrysler will have a display at the Sprint Cup Kobalt Tools 400 on March 10. Paretta said, “We can put our cars on display and our car will still be in front of that very important (NASCAR) crowd.” Paretta said that Chrysler continues to evaluate NASCAR. She added, “If we do get back (in the sport), we’ll make sure it’s the right thing for the company.” Dodge is the second brand to leave NASCAR that LVMS has signed to an official sponsorship. It also signed Red Bull as its official energy drink.
