When Sponsor’s Revolt: NASCAR’s ‘Worst’ Driver Dragged to Court Over Shocking Issue

There’s a certain romance to the cutthroat world of motorsport. Talent, nerves of steel, and sheer grit can make or break a career. But for Mike Borkowski, his brief tenure in NASCAR was the stuff of nightmares. Plucking himself from road racing and thrust into the high-stakes world of the NASCAR Busch Series, Borkowski’s foray into stock car racing wasn’t just a career misstep—it became a corporate scandal.

As the dust settled on his disastrous 2000 season, Borkowski found himself not only out of a ride but in court, sued by his own sponsor, AT&T. The story of how he went from hopeful competitor to lawsuit defendant is as bizarre as it is cautionary.

Mike Borkowski: From road racer to NASCAR’s punchline

Mike Borkowski’s path to NASCAR was unconventional. A successful road racer in series like Trans-Am and Indy Lights, he wanted to try his hand at stock car racing, and as he hunted for sponsors, Borkowski caught the attention of AT&T, which was eager to make a splash in NASCAR’s Busch Series. The telecommunications giant was riding high during the dot-com boom, spending big to promote its brand. But instead of signing a seasoned NASCAR driver, AT&T’s deal was tied directly to Borkowski, making him one of the earliest examples of a pay driver in stock car racing.

The results, however, were catastrophic. In his first five races, Borkowski’s finishes read like a disaster log: 22nd at Daytona, followed by three races outside the top 40 and an accident at Darlington. By the time the team rolled into Bristol, he failed to qualify altogether. Things briefly looked up at Talladega, where he notched a miraculous top-10 finish thanks to the lottery of restrictor-plate racing. But the writing was on the wall.

When Bill Davis Racing (BDR), the team fielding Borkowski’s AT&T-backed car, brought in Cup Series driver Dave Blaney as a substitute, the contrast was stark. Blaney performed respectably, showing the car itself had potential. But when Borkowski returned to New Hampshire, his performance hit rock bottom. On a tragic weekend that saw the death of Adam Petty during practice, Borkowski made headlines for all the wrong reasons. He caused four separate accidents, including intentional incidents with Jason Jarrett and Lyndon Amick. His antics drew sharp criticism from commentators and competitors alike, especially given the morbid circumstances of the weekend. Though he finished 21st—his best non-restrictor-plate result—the damage to his reputation was irreparable.

Borkowski’s on-track behavior was the final straw for AT&T. The telecommunications giant filed a federal lawsuit against Borkowski and his marketing company, ESBG Marketing (that he set up to get paid from AT&T so he could pay BDR for his seat), alleging breach of contract. The crux of the lawsuit was that Borkowski’s performance and televised altercations had tarnished AT&T’s brand image.

It’s important to note the sponsorship deal wasn’t directly with Bill Davis Racing but with Borkowski himself. AT&T had entrusted him to represent their brand, and his erratic driving and controversies were seen as a betrayal of that trust.

When AT&T said, “Enough is enough”

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Adding to the chaos was the timing. By mid-2000, the dot-com bubble had burst, leaving many corporations scrambling to cut costs and salvage investments. AT&T’s $600,000 sponsorship of Borkowski’s ill-fated campaign likely felt like money down the drain.

The fallout was swift. After the lawsuit was settled, Borkowski was gone from NASCAR for good. However, AT&T agreed to continue sponsoring Bill Davis Racing, which replaced Borkowski with more reliable drivers like Dave Blaney and Scott Wimmer. In their hands, the team salvaged the season, scoring a pole position, two top-fives, and several top-10 finishes. While his NASCAR career was an unmitigated disaster, Borkowski wasn’t done with racing. He returned to his roots in road racing, finding success in sports cars. He claimed three overall victories in Daytona Prototypes and even an LMP2 class win in the 2004 12 Hours of Sebring. But his NASCAR debacle remains a cautionary tale. The combination of corporate pressure, inexperience, and the unforgiving spotlight of stock car racing proved too much for Borkowski.

Borkowski’s NASCAR stint was short, dramatic, and unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. While many drivers have struggled to adapt to the world of stock car racing, few have done so in such spectacularly public fashion. For AT&T, the ordeal served as a harsh lesson in choosing where to place their branding. For fans, it remains one of the strangest chapters in NASCAR history—one of the only times when a driver’s failure on the track led to legal battles off it.