Sports sponsorship
Checkered flags line a street outside Darlington Raceway Sunday, May 17, 2020, in Darlington, S.C. NASCAR, which has been idle since March 8 because of the coronavirus pandemic, makes its return with the Real Heroes 400 Nascar Cup Series auto race Sunday. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Harvick wins at Darlington as NASCAR returns to racing

By Jenna Fryer May. 17, 2020 11:02 AM EDT

FILE - In this March 24, 2020, file photo, the Olympic Flame burns during a ceremony in Fukushima City, Japan. The Tokyo Olympics were postponed a month ago. But there are still more questions than answers about the new opening on July 23, 2021 and what form those games will take.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
The Latest: Japan's medical head says vaccine needed quickly

By The Associated Press Apr. 27, 2020 04:12 AM EDT

FILE - In this Feb. 13, 2020, file photo, William Byron celebrates after winning the second of the two NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Byron won his second consecutive NASCAR virtual race Sunday, April 19, 2020, by holding off Timmy Hill — the driver who moved him out of the way to win an earlier iRacing event — in a race finally low on dramatics. (AP Photo/Terry Renna, File)
Byron wins 2nd NASCAR virtual race in a drama-free event

By Jenna Fryer Apr. 19, 2020 03:40 PM EDT

FILE - In this July 20, 2018, file photo, NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson signs an autograph for a fan wearing a Martin Truex Jr. shirt before auto racing practice at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. Kyle Larson was fired Tuesday, April 14, 2020, by Chip Ganassi Racing, a day after nearly every one of his sponsors dropped the star driver for using a racial slur during a live stream of a virtual race. Larson, in his seventh Cup season with Ganassi and considered the top free agent in NASCAR mere weeks ago, is now stunningly out of a job in what could ultimately be an eight-figure blunder by the star. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)
NASCAR's Larson fired after sponsors walk over N-word slur

By Jenna Fryer Apr. 14, 2020 11:15 AM EDT

FILE - In this June 10, 2019, file photo, drivers race at the NASCAR cup series auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. IndyCar will race Saturday, April 11, 2020, at Michigan International Speedway, one of the most beloved tracks that long ago fell off the open-wheel racing schedule. The race will be aired on NBC Sports with Dale Earnhardt Jr., just announced as a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee and a driving force in the success of the iRacing phenomenon, making his IndyCar virtual debut. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
Virtual racing brings success, complications for sponsors

By Jenna Fryer Apr. 10, 2020 04:11 PM EDT

FILE - In this May 18, 2019, file photo, jockey Tyler Gaffalione, right, reacts aboard War of Will, as they crosses the finish line first to win the Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, in Baltimore. A measure in Maryland to redevelop Pimlico Race Course to keep the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown in Baltimore is scheduled for a hearing before state lawmakers. The “Racing and Community Development Act of 2020” is set for a hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
The Latest: NCAA suspends infraction hearings, arguments

By The Associated Press Apr. 03, 2020 04:09 PM EDT

FILE - In this Sept. 28, 2019, file photo Chase Briscoe (98) leads the field of cars to start the NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. General Motors is planning to open a new technical center for performance and auto racing near the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The center will focus on transferring auto racing knowledge into engineering for vehicles that are sold to the public. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn, File)
GM to open racing tech center near Charlotte Motor Speedway

Jan. 23, 2020 09:54 AM EST

Kimball scores full IndyCar season with AJ Foyt Racing

Jenna Fryer Jan. 22, 2020 11:19 AM EST
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlie Kimball and his longtime sponsor will move to AJ Foyt Racing for the upcoming IndyCar season. Kimball is the only driver so far...

FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2009, file photo, former NASCAR driver and owner Junior Johnson smiles as he speaks to media about being named to the NASCAR Hall of Fame during a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Johnson, who won 50 NASCAR Cup Series races as a driver and 132 as an owner and was part of the inaugural class inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010, has died at 88. (AP Photo/Bob Jordan, File)
Junior Johnson, "The Last American Hero," dies at 88

Jenna Fryer Dec. 20, 2019 07:04 PM EST

NASCAR signs 4 premier partners to sponsor Cup Series

By Jenna Fryer Dec. 05, 2019 08:50 AM EST
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — NASCAR has signed Busch Beer, Coca-Cola, Geico and Xfinity as its “premier partners" in a change to its traditional sponsorship model. ...

Martin Truex Jr. drives on the front stretch during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla. Truex is one of four drivers running for the championship. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
The Latest: Kyle Busch wins NASCAR’s Cup Series championship

Nov. 17, 2019 02:07 PM EST

Jimmie Johnson greets fans during driver introductions for the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup series auto race at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Va., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Johnson's sponsor stays on Hendrick 48 car through 2023

By Dan Gelston Oct. 04, 2019 11:00 AM EDT

Justin Haley, left, gets a hug from his mother after he was declared the winner in a rain-shortened NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, July 7, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Column: Spire played the game right and got a NASCAR win

By Jenna Fryer Jul. 08, 2019 02:27 PM EDT

William Byron poses poses with the pole award after qualifying first for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Pocono Raceway, Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Long Pond, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Byron tops 173 mph and hits fast lap to win pole at Pocono

By Dan Gelston Jun. 01, 2019 12:56 PM EDT

A fan follows events from the roof of a camper during the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Saturday, May 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
NASCAR strikes $2B deal with ISC, will gain a dozen tracks

By Mark Long May. 22, 2019 09:40 AM EDT

FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2018, file photo, an odds sheet and betting slip are seen at Dover International Speedway before the NASCAR Cup series auto race at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. NASCAR is making its first big play in the world of expanded legal sports betting, hoping a sports data partnership will lead to gamblers being able to bet during races on much more than just who gets the checkered flag. Genius Sports has become the exclusive provider of NASCAR data to licensed sportsbooks, officials announced Friday, May 3, 2019. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
Start your wagers: NASCAR data deal could lead to more bets

By Dan Gelston May. 03, 2019 09:54 AM EDT

The car of driver Tyler Reddick sits in the pits being worked on after practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race Friday, April 5, 2019, in Bristol, Tenn. The reigning Xfinity Series champion is piloting a Chevrolet at Bristol covered with country music icon Dolly Parton's face and her signature butterfly logo.(AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Dolly Parton makes NASCAR debut as sponsor at Bristol

Apr. 05, 2019 08:30 PM EDT

FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2018, file photo, Kurt Busch greets fans during driver introductions prior to the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. Kurt Busch arrived at Phoenix this weekend feeling like he was holding a full house. The Las Vegas native is coming off a second consecutive top-five run, this time at his home track, and felt as if his Chip Ganassi Racing team _ and their Chevrolet power plants _ were finally catching up to the Ford and Toyota teams that have dominated the early part of the Cup season. To top it off, his No. 1 team announced Friday, March 8, 2019, a new sponsorship deal with Global Poker, one of the world’s leading online gaming sites _ no small news when motorsports backing is hard to find. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
Busch going all in with new sponsor, confidence at Phoenix

By Dave Skretta Mar. 08, 2019 04:48 PM EST

FILE - In this March 11, 2018, file photo, Sebastien Bourdais celebrates after winning the IndyCar Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, in St. Petersburg, Fla. St. Petersburg has been good to Bourdais, and he in turn is the unofficial ambassador for IndyCar's season-opening event. The Frenchman will be seeking his third consecutive victory Sunday, March 10, 2019, on the 1.8-mile course through the picturesque downtown of Bourdais' adopted hometown. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken, File)
Sebastien Bourdais seeks 3-peat on streets of St. Pete

By Jenna Fryer Mar. 07, 2019 01:31 PM EST

FILE - In this March 9, 2018, file photo, the City of St. Petersburg is pictured in the background as IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud makes his way through turn 10 during the first IndyCar practice on the first day of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Fla. The IndyCar season opens Sunday, March 10, 2019, in St. Petersburg. (Dirk Shadd/The Tampa Bay Times via AP, File)
IndyCar slowly and steadily returning to relevance

By Jenna Fryer Mar. 06, 2019 04:11 PM EST