Sports sponsorship
Fans check out activity in the garage area before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Darlington Raceway, Sunday, May 9, 2021, in Darlington, S.C. It is the first time this year that fans are allowed back in the garage area. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
Column: NASCAR starting to allow access a year after restart

By Jenna Fryer May. 10, 2021 04:59 PM EDT

FILE - In this April 25, 1997, file photo, John Andretti, left, grins as his wife Nancy hugs his father Aldo after the younger Andretti won the pole for the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. Mario Andretti feels the same pain as so many others these days. His wife died two years ago, long before the pandemic. And his beloved nephew John lost a brutal battle with colon cancer. But then COVID-19 claimed his twin brother Aldo and one of the greatest racers of all time is not immune from the loneliness and depression sweeping the world. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)
Andretti navigates personal loss, loneliness of pandemic

By Jenna Fryer Apr. 19, 2021 07:13 PM EDT

Darlington Raceway's spring race will be called Goodyear 400

Apr. 14, 2021 10:59 AM EDT
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Darlington Raceway has partnered with tire manufacturer Goodyear to sponsor its spring NASCAR Cup Series event next month. ...

FILE - Jimmie Johnson speaks about joining the team of Chip Ganassi for the IndyCar series at a press conference during the IndyCar race weekend in St. Petersburg, Fla., in this Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, file photo. Jimmie Johnson, with wisps of gray in his beard, is a 45-year-old rookie in the IndyCar Series ready to reintroduce himself. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson, File)
Jimmie Johnson ditches vanilla label during IndyCar debut

By Jenna Fryer Apr. 13, 2021 04:21 PM EDT

FILE - Jimmie Johnson speaks about joining the team of Chip Ganassi for the IndyCar series at a press conference during the IndyCar race weekend in St. Petersburg, Fla., in this Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, file photo. Jimmie Johnson, with wisps of gray in his beard, is a 45-year-old rookie in the IndyCar Series ready to reintroduce himself. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson, File)
Jimmie Johnson ditches vanilla label during IndyCar debut

By Jenna Fryer Apr. 13, 2021 04:10 PM EDT

FILE - Santino Ferrucci drives into turn one during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, in this Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020, file photo. Ferrucci has landed a ride for the Indianapolis 500 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The team finished first and third in last year's race with Takuma Sato and Graham Rahal, while Ferrucci was fourth. Now RLL will return to Indy with a driver lineup that claimed three of the top four spots a year ago.(AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
Ferrucci lands Indy 500 seat with defending winner Rahal

By Jenna Fryer Apr. 05, 2021 12:31 PM EDT

In this undated image provided by Ethel M Chocolates, a delivery truck is seen outside the Ethel M Chocolates building in Henderson, Nev. NASCAR driver Kyle Busch first went to the Ethel M candy factory with his grandmother. It wasn’t a tourist stop to the young Busch, it was a candy store and his grandmother let him roam the cactus garden and rewarded him with the craft chocolates. It comes full circle Sunday at home track Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Ethel M is part of the Mars Corp., the longtime sponsor of Busch’s team. Busch will feature the brand on his car in Sunday’s race. (Ethel M Chocolates via AP)
Busch and Mars hearken childhood memories at Las Vegas

By Jenna Fryer Mar. 06, 2021 05:58 PM EST

Raphael Lessard (24) beats the field to the line to win the first stage during a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series auto race Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Camping World helps cash-strapped teams make it to Las Vegas

By Jenna Fryer Mar. 04, 2021 06:10 PM EST

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs past Tampa Bay Buccaneers inside linebacker Lavonte David (54) during the first half of an NFL divisional round playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
NFL's Kamara races into NASCAR as a team sponsor at Daytona

By Jenna Fryer Feb. 19, 2021 05:11 PM EST

Michael McDowell celebrates after winning the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Daytona 500 win lands McDowell more sponsorship money

By Jenna Fryer Feb. 19, 2021 12:47 PM EST

Roush Fenway becomes 1st carbon neutral NASCAR team

By Jenna Fryer Feb. 18, 2021 08:00 AM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Roush Fenway Racing set a goal to reduce its carbon footprint even as it raced a pair of gas-guzzling cars all across the country. ...

Hendrick signs 2 sponsors for Kyle Larson's return to NASCAR

By Jenna Fryer Feb. 02, 2021 02:43 PM EST
Hendrick Motorsports signed its first two sponsors for Kyle Larson, a promising sign as the driver attempts to rebuild his image after his use of a racial slur...

FILE - In this Aug. 8, 2017, file photo, Peter Bevacqua, then CEO of the PGA of America, speaks during a news conference at the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. NBC will shut down the NBC Sports Network at the end of the year. NBC Sports Chairman Bevacqua announced the move Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in an internal memo to staff. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)
NBC to shut down NBC Sports Network at end of 2021

By Joe Reedy Jan. 22, 2021 03:20 PM EST

FILE - Ty Dillon during fist bumps with fans during driver introductions prior to the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., in this Sunday, March 8, 2020, file photo. Ty Dillon landed a Daytona 500 ride with Gaunt Brothers Racing in a pairing of a driver and team both trying to rebuild in 2021. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso, File)
Dillon lands Daytona 500 ride with rebuilding Gaunt Brothers

By Jenna Fryer Jan. 19, 2021 11:09 AM EST

23XI Racing fully funded for debut season with Bubba Wallace

By Jenna Fryer Dec. 14, 2020 12:58 PM EST
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — 23XI Racing announced a full slate of sponsorship Monday to back the new NASCAR team owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. ...

FILE - Bubba Wallace walks away from his damaged car, next to a NASCAR Safety Team member, during the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020. Wallace has been named the Comcast Community Champion of the Year. The industry award honors NASCAR members for philanthropic efforts. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez, File)
Bubba Wallace, who urged Confederate flag ban, honored

By Jenna Fryer Nov. 06, 2020 11:05 AM EST

Jimmie Johnson, left, speaks about joining the team of Chip Ganassi, right, for the IndyCar series at a press conference during the IndyCar race weekend Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Johnson jump-starts IndyCar move with online auto retailer

By Jenna Fryer Oct. 24, 2020 01:46 PM EDT

In this photo provided by the NHRA, Tommy Johnson Jr. drives in Funny Car at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Midwest Nationals drag races at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, in Madison, Ill. (Marc Gewertz/NHRA via AP)
Tweet lures Camping World in as NHRA new title sponsor

By Jenna Fryer Oct. 08, 2020 04:04 PM EDT

Alex Bowman, left, Chase Elliott, center, and Denny Hamlin listen to the national anthem before the NASCAR Cup Series auto race Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Column: NASCAR's dizzying silly season will change landscape

By Jenna Fryer Sep. 21, 2020 09:34 PM EDT

FILE - Jimmy Johnson is at left in a 2019 file photo. Scott Dixon is at right in a 2020 file photo. Jimmie Johnson will transition from NASCAR to IndyCar with Chip Ganassi Racing in a partnership that could pair two of the most dominant drivers of this generation on one team. The seven-time NASCAR champion will work with the Ganassi organization to finalize sponsorship on a two-year program for Johnson to run the road and street course races on IndyCar's schedule. If funding is secured, Johnson would be teammates with five-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon. (AP Photo/File)
Jimmie Johnson teams with Ganassi on 2-year IndyCar program

By Jenna Fryer Sep. 09, 2020 10:45 AM EDT