Sprint/Nextel rebuts rumored Cup departure

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- At the risk of lending it even a glimmer of credence, Sprint/Nextel officials initially chose not to respond to a recent report that questioned the newly merged company's commitment to NASCAR.

But earlier this week, Sprint communications director Mary Nell Westbrook recanted the speculation, and offered details regarding exactly how the company benefits from the huge $75 million per year investment in the Cup Series.

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"Revenue," Westbrook matter-of-factly responded when asked what Sprint/Nextel receives in return for such a lofty sum.

"Our commitment has never been stronger," she continued. "And beyond just the verbal commitment. Checks. Contracts. Those things speak a lot louder than words. We're not going anywhere. This sponsorship has proven itself to be far more that just a marquee brand name -- it has delivered revenue to the bottom line."

That's difficult to fathom. But Westbrook said the company has evidence to support the long-standing sentiment that NASCAR fans tend to be more consistent, loyal customers. They also tend to use more wireless minutes than the average user, Westbrook said.

"I have a whole page of stats about how beneficial this has been," she said. "This has been a very lucrative property."

Those dynamics, she said, make NASCAR fans "a critical base to sell into."

"When Nextel first did the deal, the profile of that NASCAR fan is square in the middle of the profile of where Nextel needed to be," Westbrook said. "It pays off year after year.

"That goes back to the insanity of the rumor. Why would we run away from revenue?"

Recent personnel departures raised questions about the stability of the sponsorship and where the sponsorship was headed. Nextel's sports marketing director Michael Robichaud, NASCAR director Jill Gregory and communications director Mike Mooney, all integral pieces of a touchy and largely seamless transition from R.J. Reynolds' Winston brand in 2004, are gone.

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"This program for Sprint is much larger than the individuals," Westbrook said. "It is unfortunate when folks leave, but that is part of a merger environment, unfortunately. Will it impact the way we execute on this sport week in and week out? Absolutely not."

Another critical aspect of the speculation centers on the Sprint brass, whose devotion to Nextel's pre-existing investment philosophy in NASCAR has been questioned by the media.

In response, Westbrook offered a reminder of the wireless company's NASCAR past.

"There's no question that we're beyond committed," Westbrook said. "Every employee -- from the guys working the events every week all the way up to [senior vice president of marketing] Mark Schweitzer and [Nextel president] Tim Donahue and [Sprint CEO] Gary Foresee.

Sprint sponsored Kyle Petty's No. 45 Dodge for two seasons in the Cup Series. Credit: Autostock

"How short of a memory do we have? We were all over NASCAR with Petty."

Sprint's foray into NASCAR came in the late-1990s with Adam Petty. Then, following Adam's death in 2000, it continued on with Kyle Petty for two seasons in the Cup Series. The adoration for Kyle on the Sprint campus remains strong, Westbrook said.

"We've worked with Kyle, and he was so warmly embraced when they came back last October, at the Kansas race, to campus," Westbrook said. "We had Jeff Gordon and all the superstars up there on a panel, but all the employees gravitated toward Kyle.

"Sprint's tradition absolutely has embraced NASCAR. It's not like this is something new to us as a company, by any stretch."

So why did Sprint pull the sponsorship of the No. 45 car following the 2002 season?

"We decided to take a step back and re-evaluate our entire program," Westbrook said. "We were ready to move on to bigger and better things."

In the series' title sponsorship, Westbrook said the company feels it has found that bigger, better thing. That's why, she said, any concern about its commitment has proven so frustrating.

"Honestly, we're kind of tired of chasing completely unfounded rumors," Westbrook said. "It becomes a waste of our time to chase these rumors, and quite frankly these rumors are hurting the sport. Sprint doesn't want anyone to question our commitment and our passion and enthusiasm for this sport.

"It injures the sport to question the series sponsor's commitment when it's completely unfounded and untrue. It's frustrating. We've never been more committed. It's so ingrained and people have embraced this unlike anything I've ever seen."