Ford Motor Co. extended its partnership with Homestead-Miami Speedway in a five-year deal, with an option to renew for an additional five years. Other details were not disclosed. Ford has been the official title sponsor of the three races held at the facility since '02 (Homestead-Miami Speedway). The AP noted HMS President Matt Becherer is "optimistic the venue will remain the host of NASCAR's final weekend for the foreseeable future." He said, "We've spent the better part of a year renegotiating this extension and we would not have expended the time and energy that we did had we thought there was any chance that the championship could be leaving Miami in the near future" (AP, 6/15). In Charlotte, Jim Utter reports while there is "no absolute guarantee," the sponsorship extension "pretty much cements Homestead as the site of the season finale for the foreseeable future" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/16). SPORTING NEWS' Bob Pockrass noted although NASCAR does its scheduling "on a year-by-year basis," track parent company ISC is "run by CEO Lesa France Kennedy, who is one of the co-owners of NASCAR." It is "unlikely she would sign off on any such long-term deal without making a commitment to one of the sport’s biggest stakeholders that the finale would stay there." SMI Chair & CEO Bruton Smith has "lobbied for several years for the championship weekend to be moved to Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the season-ending awards banquet the day after the season finale" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 6/15).
MADE IN DETROIT: Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Chevy won yesterday's Sprint Cup Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan Int'l Speedway. Prior to the race, ESPN's Rusty Wallace said, "This is really important for Chevrolet and Ford. In my opinion, this is the second most important race in the whole year, Daytona being number one. The manufacturers don’t want to lose in their backyard, they want to win. If a Toyota wins, it’s going to be a tough day on Monday.” ESPN’s Ricky Craven said, “For the guys that are paying the bills, the car owners, it is very important. Take Jack Roush for example -- he has 4,500 employees at Roush Industries here in Michigan. Several hundred will be here (over the weekend)." ESPN's Nicole Briscoe asked, “What’s more important, getting a Chevy or a Ford to victory lane or keeping a Toyota out?” Wallace: “It’s definitely keeping a Toyota out” (“NASCAR Countdown,” ESPN, 6/14).
