These days no one is safe when it comes to sponsors (cont'd)

NASCAR isn't alone here; there's a lot of ebb and flow in the sponsor market overall right now, including FedEx's recent decision to step aside as corporate backer of the Orange Bowl, and Budwesier's pending moves in both racing and the NFL. David Carter, executive director of the Sports Business Institute at the University of Southern California, doesn't rule out the prospect of some companies re-evaluating their NASCAR involvement because of the sport's attendance figures and television ratings, which have slipped in recent years. But getting a more accurate picture involves examination on a case-by-case basis.

"You have to go back and study these companies individually to study how damaged they were in the recession," Carter said. "Somebody like DuPont may get to the point -- not to write the obituary on that deal -- where I would imagine that relationship would be among the last they'd want to get rid of, because it provides them with such great continuity and business development opportunities, I would imagine. At that stage, maybe you pare back other areas of marketing hoping to hold on to your NASCAR deal with Gordon. Maybe it's just that difficult to pencil out, and that may have nothing to do with Jeff Gordon. But he brings such a hefty price tag. Deals of that magnitude are either the first one to get cut or the last one to get cut, based on priorities. I would imagine it's something they'd rather not do."

Norris points out that DuPont has never really been a consumer brand, and sells its products primarily to other companies. "They're always business-to-business, and they entertain customers and things of that nature. And they've probably entertained the same customers, the same customers for a long time, and they want to reevaluate," he said. "But anyone who associates themselves so deeply with a driver, it's tough for them to say, 'I need to make a change.'"

For fans of Gordon, such a change would indeed be startling, like seeing Richard Petty backed by a company other than STP. "Think about what it would be like to be the company that comes in to replace DuPont," Carter said. "It would almost be like the renaming of a big stadium. People don't easily pick up the name of that new venue. They always associate it with what it was called before the name change."

In that regard, like Mile High Stadium or Candlestick Park, the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet could live on for some time, even if the company decides to step aside as primary sponsor after this season. Should that happen, it would indeed be strange to see Jeff Gordon showing up each weekend in a firesuit other than the one he's sported for nearly two decades. And for one driver, trips to Delaware wouldn't carry quite as much significance.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.