Another sponsor says adios to NASCAR

UPDATE Robby Gordon lost one of his bigger sponsors this week, but the driver/owner has several sponsors that should help him handle the departure of Jim Beam. Gordon said Jim Beam was the primary sponsor for 12 races this year and a to-be-announced sponsor has committed for four of those, leaving him eight to replace from that sponsorship next year. Menards and Mapei are returning, and Gordon said he has a good opportunity for other sponsors such as Polaris, Monster and Camping World to return. Gordon said he can generate a lot of exposure through his various racing avenues, which includes off-road racing. He said he is still not interested in merging with another team. One thing that could help Gordon is if the Indianapolis 500 starts earlier next year, allowing a driver to do both that race and the Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. "I have a sponsor that I talked to today that said they would take Indy and Charlotte at the right dollars today," said Gordon, who has extensive experience in open-wheel cars. "They've already told me that. If Indy changes, I think you can count me in it – with a new sponsor, a different sponsor that's not on my car today." SceneDaily

09/22/09 Beam Global Spirits and Wine Inc., maker of Jim Beam bourbon, announced Tuesday that it will not extend its sponsorship with Robby Gordon Motorsports beyond this season and will not return to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2010.

The company says that it plans to focus its marketing resources on other platforms.

“It was a difficult decision to transition away from being a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team sponsor," said Bill Newlands, president of Beam Global Spirits and Wine U.S. “We always take a hard look at our marketing resources and how we can best interact with legal-purchase-age consumers. After an extensive review of our marketing strategy, we have come up with new alternatives to fuel growth for Jim Beam in 2010."