While Monster has been getting ready for NASCAR, several entities in the sport associated to the beverage category have been getting ready for Monster.
NASCAR title sponsorship partners receive broad rights to not only series inventory, but also to drivers and teams. But the new charter system gives teams more defined rights about how deeply they must interact with a new title sponsor that competes with one of their own sponsors.
Sources said teams mulling their options include Hendrick Motorsports, which has a deal with Pepsi, owner of Amp energy drinks and Gatorade. Another is Furniture Row Racing, which counts 5-hour Energy as a primary sponsor. Some executives at Coca-Cola, one of the most important sponsors in the sport, also view Monster as a competitor, sources said, despite Coke’s nearly 17 percent stake in Monster.
Teams have looked at how often to show Monster marks and logos in marketing materials, what has to be done in victory lane, and whether to run the Monster decal on the front windshield of their cars, which is a new position after drivers previously had their name on the front.
Sources said all teams are expected to run the decal, but how often teams such as Hendrick will display the decal when their cars are off the track remains to be seen. Placing the title sponsor on the front windshield puts NASCAR’s top series in line with its other two national series, where respective title sponsors Xfinity and Camping World have their names on front windshields, a more appealing placement due to the difference in media exposure.
NASCAR and Hendrick declined comment. Furniture Row did not respond to a request for comment by presstime. Coca-Cola in a prepared statement said: “We see NASCAR as a great fit for both Monster’s brands and ours, and we look forward to sharing this exciting stage together.”
— Adam Stern
