Microsoft yesterday announced "separate, three-year deals with NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports that will focus heavily on business-to-business applications and tout its forthcoming Windows 10 operating system and Azure cloud-computing platform," according to Adam Stern in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The deals "see Microsoft named as an official technology partner of NASCAR and a major technical partner of Hendrick," marking the company's "most significant sports sponsorship" since its '13 deal with the NFL. Part of the Hendrick agreement "includes two primary paint schemes on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevrolet this season," starting with this week’s Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. Microsoft also will be an "associate sponsor across Hendrick’s four Sprint Cup Series teams" starting in '16 and continuing in '17. Earnhardt will "act as a spokesman for the company, and Microsoft is eyeing more deals in the sport" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/22 issue). ESPN.com's Bob Pockrass noted Earnhardt "still has eight races this year for which the team has not announced sponsorship." Nationwide "sponsors Earnhardt for 22 events, PepsiCo (Diet Mountain Dew, Amp) for five and Kelley Blue Book for one" (ESPN.com, 6/22).
AARP CARD CAME EARLY? Hendrick Motorsports will debut a new paint scheme for Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet at the Toyota/SaveMart 350 this weekend. As part of Hendrick Motorsports’ existing partnership with Drive to End Hunger, AARP Member Advantages will be featured on Gordon’s ride. The AARP paint scheme also will be featured on Gordon's car for the upcoming Sprint Cup Series races at Kentucky, New Hampshire, Pocono, Dover and Martinsville (Hendrick Motorsports).
