Sponsors on Honda teams pay nil

It's long been rumored that sponsors on the cars of Honda teams in the IRL pay very little to nothing to have their name displayed because Honda was footing a large portion of the cost. In this SPEEDTV.com article Jeff Olson writes, "Honda’s nine-figure budget not only subsidized teams, it drove down sponsorship value. Non-Honda teams were approaching potential sponsors with what they thought was a reasonable figure. Potential sponsors told them they were being quoted a fraction of that figure by Honda teams."

Further proof that the IRL business plan/model is not sustainable. The day Honda decides to pull back its subsidies is the day the teams will have to scramble to find proper funding.