If there’s one thing we all know about NASCAR, it’s that sponsors are everywhere. Whether it’s race names, cars covered in logos and stickers, or drivers with brand patches all over, Every single race is brought to you by one company or another, costing thousands of dollars and giving them much-needed visibility.

Each of the three NASCAR series—the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Craftsman Truck Series—has different sponsorship opportunities, and the names of the series are also subject to change as they are named after a sponsor, too. With companies catering to different markets, do sponsorships typically change during mid-season?

Dave Alpern shares sponsorship insights

Josh Bilicki made his debut for Joe Gibbs Racing at Portland International Raceway on Saturday, and will be driving the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra at multiple NASCAR Xfinity Series races throughout the remainder of the 2024 season. His car also featured two primary sponsors, who have supported the 28-year-old in his journey so far: DiTEC Marine Products and Trim-Tex Drywall Solutions. The team also revealed secondary sponsors Rich Mar Florist and Evolution Edges in the same announcement. Interestingly, Rich Mar Florist is also a track partner with Pocono Raceway and Dover Speedway. Perhaps the announcement of new sponsors for the race in Portland prompted Joe Gibbs Racing President Dave Alpern to reveal sponsorship changes in an Instagram post.

He said, “Generally, we work out the entire sponsor calendar before the season starts. We have some horse trading between different companies because each company has different markets that might be more important. Different times of the year for different promotions and things that are important for them. So once the season goes, we have a pretty good idea for the whole year what the sponsor calendar is from each week.”

The NASCAR Cup Series races are by far the most expensive for companies to sponsor. A single race costs $500,000 to sponsor while being the primary sponsor for a team costs between $350,000 and $500,000 per race. However, corporations usually have a deal with racing teams for a season-long sponsorship.

This gives them the liberty to decide the paint scheme of the car, their logo placements, and use the driver’s likeness to promote their product/service. Corporations do have the opportunity to sponsor a team for just one race, and in return for a half-million investment, the car will be customized as per the company’s wishes.

What do the NASCAR sponsors get?

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NASCAR has a fanbase of over 50 million viewers. This means that there is tremendous potential that advertising impressions can make. When calculating their investment, companies would count the number of seconds their brand’s logo would be visible on the screen, and then multiply that by the going ad rate. Fans tend to be loyal to brands that sponsor their favorite drivers, which means it costs more to sponsor teams that have the biggest names in the sport.

Companies also take into account other ways in which their brands are getting attention from potential customers. Whether that’s from billboards, print media, or the internet, tracking consumer behavior and awareness about the brand, thanks to the sponsorship. They will track how much exposure their brand is getting by running promotions through the sponsorship as well.

By getting their product/service in front of potential customers, who use it because of promotions, a company can consider it a good return on investment. However, what do you think of the struggles with sponsorships in NASCAR? Let us know in the comments!