((ht: nascar.com))We aren't sure what to make of this one. NASCAR, once the darling of all major sports due to it's meteoric growth in the 1990's and 2000's has lost it's main sponsor.
Sprint Wireless has announced they will no longer sponsor Stock Car racing's most prestigious level of racing after the end of the 2016 season.
They've been a part of NASCAR's "Sprint Cup Title" since 2004 through the "Nextel" brand which Sprint purchased the following year.
Read more from NASCAR their own selves RIGHT HERE
NASCAR has struggled to keep momentum the past few season, in part due to it's somewhat confusing "Chase for the Championship". They did garner some attention this year due to the dramatics of it's finish--for which reviews were generally good.
As for the TV ratings, they aren't what they were. Yes, the sport still draws pretty well in certain areas, such as the Southeast, but like other sports when football begins, the ratings drop. It will be interesting as racing transitions to new TV partners this year, to see where things go.
But again, the big question here is this: Where does this leaves NASCAR in their search for a title sponsor? It is an expensive proposition even for the largest of corporations. Sprint has struggled mightily to keep up with the Verizon's and AT&T's of the world which leads to the obvious question. ATT had tried to make inroads in NASCAR just a few years ago.
We're guessing the racing bigwigs would happily welcome them...and their money beginning in 2017.
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