The NRA finalized a deal with Texas Motor Speedway to become the title sponsor of the track's April 13 Sprint Cup race. The agreement will result in NASCAR holding its first NRA-branded Sprint Cup race. Financial terms were unavailable. Sprint Cup sponsorships typically sell in the high-six figure to low-seven figure range. The NRA deal comes at a time when the gun lobby organization and gun rights remain a flashpoint nationwide. It also follows NASCAR’s effort to support and raise money for Newtown, Conn., which lost 20 children and six adults in a mass shooting in December. NASCAR partnered with Swan Racing to put a special Sandy Hook School Support Fund paint scheme on the No. 26 car during the Daytona 500, and there were concerns during the Daytona race weekend that word of Texas’ talks with the NRA might become public and harm the sanctioning body’s efforts to raise money for the Newtown community.
O'REILLY STAYING AT TMS: O’Reilly Auto Parts and TMS have agreed to terms on a four-year extension of its current sponsorship of both NASCAR Nationwide Series races at TMS. O’Reilly will continue to be the sponsor of April’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 and November’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge races through '16. The national auto parts retailer is the longest-running active race sponsor at the track, sponsoring its Nationwide Series events since '02. O’Reilly made its sponsorship debut at TMS with the '02 O’Reilly 300. The company also has served as the only sponsor for the November Nationwide Series event at the track, which was added to the schedule in '05. Meanwhile, NOS will be the official energy drink of the track, beginning this year. This contract will mirror the Coca-Cola contract with TMS and will be through '15. Red Bull was the previous holder of this official status category at TMS from '05-12 before exiting from NASCAR.
