NASCAR Busch Series losing Busch as a sponsor

[Lee Roy]

http://www.jayski.com/busch/busch.htm

UPDATE 2: Anheuser-Busch will no longer serve as title sponsor of NASCAR's #2 series after 2007, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reports. Anheuser-Busch's contract with NASCAR for the NASCAR Busch Series comes to an end after 2007, and NASCAR officials say the cost to sponsor the series will go up. Tony Ponturo, Anheuser-Busch's vice president of global media and sports marketing, told the SBJ that it was his company's decision to withdraw from the sponsorship. SBJ reports that industry sources are estimating the new sponsorship deal could be worth more than $30 million a year, which is three times what Anheuser-Busch is paying.(SceneDaily.com)(12-18-2006)
UPDATE 3: According to the SportsBusiness Journal, Subway, Wal-Mart and Samsung "are expected to make strong plays for the title deal."(FoxSports.com)(12-18-2006)

[Jonesi]

The $10 mil a year deal that A-B had, has been a bargain the last few years. Don't know if the series is worth $30 mil, but Nascar will probably get it. Hope they put much of it into the race purse, since last place Cup usually gets about the same as first place Busch (at the same track/same weekend).

[Subaru WRX]

so the 2nd division will be named what in 2007 ??

[Lee Roy]

so the 2nd division will be named what in 2007 ??

'Busch's contract with NASCAR for the NASCAR Busch Series comes to an end after 2007. . . .'

[Mark in Oshawa]

I think they will get it. They likely have a company out there with an open check book who has told NASCAR that they would like to jump in there. Busch probably looked at what they get for their money and decided to get out. I would suspect something will be said soon....

[ykiki]

I'm just trying to imagine a statement like "Here's the new Nextel Cup driver just up from dominating the Samsung Series"

[harvick#1]

so the 2nd division will be named what in 2007 ??

The Cingular Cup

[RaceFanStan]

I'm thinking it could become the Coca-Cola Series in 2008.

[Speedworx]

It won't be the same calling it something else.

[RaceFanStan]

The cost of being a team sponsor keeps increasing, it stands to reason that the series sponsor cost would also increase.
NA$CAR is also taking full advantage of it's high popularity & milking all the money they can get from a sponsor.

I hope the sponsor's money is enough to satisfy NA$CAR's greed because if it isn't the fans will be milked next.