Texas Motor Speedway "has signed longtime partner O’Reilly Auto Parts to replace Duck Commander as title sponsor of its spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race," according to Adam Stern of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. A source said that the sponsorship "is worth low seven figures annually and is being described as a long-term deal." O'Reilly "will continue to sponsor the track’s November Xfinity Series race, though that event will be rebranded to the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 beginning" in '17. The company "gets Sprint Cup-level signage, tickets, hospitality space and a display in the track’s fan zone as part of the deal." TMS President Eddie Gossage said that O'Reilly "made it known a couple of years ago that it would be interested in stepping up if the opportunity arose" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/16 issue). In Dallas, Gerry Fraley notes O'Reilly "is more closely linked to racing than the previous two sponsors of the April Cup race" -- the NRA ('13) and Duck Commander ('14-16). Each alliance "triggered controversy because of the sponsoring group's political stances." Gossage said that the "polarizing nature of the previous two sponsors was never a consideration in establishing a new sponsor." He "stressed TMS hopes to continue its friendly relationship with the Robertson family, which created the Duck Commander operation" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/16). Gossage said that TMS has "multiple companies interested in sponsoring the race," though O'Reilly "fir the best." In Ft. Worth, Drew Davison notes TMS is "intrigued by the idea that the company is going 'all-in' with this sponsorship, and intends to carry it through on a year-round basis" (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 5/16).
