Motorsports

How the NASCAR sponsorship model is changing: ‘A massive shift’ in Amazon era

It was a jarring sight earlier this year when the Joe Gibbs Racing hauler carrying Denny Hamlin’s car had a large vacancy on its side paneling typically filled by the branding for Hamlin’s main sponsor. For nearly 20 years, FedEx occupied this spot, serving as the primary sponsor for Hamlin’s No. 11 team, and in […]

Published

1 week ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

For nearly 20 years, FedEx occupied this spot, serving as the primary sponsor for Hamlin’s No. 11 team, and in many years did so by sponsoring the vast majority of the races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Such was the relationship between driver, team and sponsor, it became one of the most identifiable in NASCAR history.

But the partnership between FedEx and JGR ended after the 2024 season, and a replacement still hadn’t been secured by late January when the No. 11 team’s hauler had pulled into Charlotte Motor Speedway before that weekend’s season-opening Clash exhibition race. That JGR wasn’t able to immediately land a replacement for a driver in Hamlin, who’s one of the most recognizable and successful current drivers, seemed to speak of a bigger issue — an indictment on the state of NASCAR as a whole. In some circles, alarms went off.

Flash forward four months, and when Hamlin’s hauler pulls into Charlotte for this weekend’s race, the once-vacant spot on its side paneling has since been filled. In March, JGR announced Progressive Insurance had signed on as primary sponsor for the 18 races that had not yet been filled. The news cast a spotlight on both the ever-changing landscape teams are fighting on the sponsorship side and why teams are largely optimistic about the direction the sport is headed.

“The marketing side of it is very bullish right now,” said team owner Rick Ware, whose team signed a 12-race deal with Arby’s earlier this year. “We’re obviously one of the smaller teams and we’re having dramatically more conversations than we typically have in the past. That doesn’t mean that you close them all, but the interest is there.”

Nearly every team owner or executive who spoke to The Athletic for this story expressed similar enthusiasm. Many said this was the most optimistic they’ve felt about sponsorship in some time, pointing to increased interested due to two main factors: A new media rights deal that notably includes Amazon Prime picking up five races — the first time NASCAR has paired with a streaming service to carry Cup races — and the inclusion on the schedule of the first international Cup points race since the 1950s.

“The marketers know that’s the path of where audiences are going,” 23XI Racing president Steve Lauletta said. “So this isn’t a one-year light switch, it’s going to be more of a dimmer to try to keep growing and follow the audience as it grows.”

For nearly two decades, FedEx served as Denny Hamlin’s primary sponsor before exiting the sport after last season. (Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)

When NASCAR announced its deal with Prime in late 2023, the excitement expressed by the league was offset to some degree by a number of teams who, while encouraged, also had reservations on whether a sport dependent on corporate sponsorship was meant to air on a subscription streaming service.

But teams have come to learn that a good number of fans already had access to Prime — some not even realizing it — and that being associated with a leading streaming service was something that proved attractive to both existing sponsors and potential future sponsors. Multiple team executives said they had companies outside the sport reach out to them wanting to explore potential deals solely because of the value Prime offered.

“Sponsors are very intrigued by Amazon,” Richard Childress Racing president Mike Verlander said. “Now, we have no result back yet, so let’s see what the result looks like. But you see what they did with the NFL. It’s only grown. We expect the same.

“It’s been a massive shift. You’ll hear the naysayers about the unknowns of Amazon, but at the end of the day, I think it’s an all-positive narrative because there’s new players that are putting their stake into this. Now, is it tough because the avid fan has to now figure out where to find it? Yeah, but in time, everyone will fall in line and figure it out.”

A similar reaction occurred last August when NASCAR announced Mexico City’s addition to the 2025 Cup schedule. Several companies were intrigued by the potential marketing opportunities, envisioning a large crowd of fans when NASCAR visited the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit.

One such company is Colgate, which has funded the non-profit Estrellas Colgate since 1980, providing athletic and wellness programs to underserved children. Having become connected with RFK Racing through the team’s new primary sponsorship with supermarket giant Kroger, a business-to-business deal was put together where one of RFK’s three cars will carry Colgate branding in Mexico City.

A race in Mexico does bring a set of new sponsorship challenges, however.

Mexico imposes stringent regulations on what products can be advertised there. For some teams, this is a non-issue. For others, like RCR, it’s been problematic. Among the team’s sponsors are Rebel Bourbon, Bet MGM, Zone nicotine pouches and Winchester Ammunition, none of which are allowed to advertise in Mexico. Therefore, any branding on any car, uniform, hauler, pit box, etc., must be covered up.

Despite the hurdles for RCR, Verlander supports NASCAR expanding internationally.

“It’s been very positive because it’s a new reach, it’s a new fan, it’s a new everything,” he said.

Though some of RCR’s longtime partners may not be able to market in Mexico, RCR is well-versed in finding new partners interested in sponsoring the team in a limited capacity. In fact, they’ve become a leader in this approach to selling sponsorship.

Not too long ago, it was common for a team to have an anchor sponsor on its car for 20-plus races, if not the near entirety of the 38-race season. JGR, for one, operated under this model; it had long-term, big-money contracts with several Fortune 500 companies to back its four teams and rarely had any holes.

The game has changed, though, and JGR and other teams have had to evolve with it. As much as teams would love to have one main sponsor for 30-some races, this is no longer feasible. JGR president Dave Alpern said he’s sat in more meetings with prospective sponsors this season than at any point in his 32 years working in the sport. And from this, JGR has signed six new sponsors, four of which are new to NASCAR.

“The models are changing in terms of what people are looking for, and so JGR has adapted,” said Eric Schaffer, JGR’s chief commercial officer. “We’ve added a marketing group that we didn’t have before. And so people are focused on data and absolutely getting a return on their investment. And our job, and our team’s job, is to make sure that they get that return. … It’s certainly not a sticker on the car anymore, it’s an integrated marketing program that we’re trying to deliver value for the partners.”

Many companies now understand that while being involved in NASCAR brings value, that value doesn’t translate to being the primary sponsor for so many races. It’s become about maximizing return on investment, and in many instances, that means identifying key markets and focusing marketing efforts heavily on this. For instance, if a company doesn’t make its product available in a certain region of the United States, it might not make sense to market itself at a particular race in that area.

NASCAR execs say there’s been an uptick in sponsor interest since the latest media rights deal, which includes Amazon Prime. (Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

RCR was one of the first organizations to focus heavily on a model of having several primary sponsors throughout the season, each of which would feature in only a handful of races. Competitors in the garage sometimes looked at RCR’s cars and snickered at whichever new or unknown company it had signed, but for RCR, it was an effective strategy to ensure it sold out all its primary sponsorship inventory.

This model has paid dividends for RCR, even helping position the organization to land one of the biggest named drivers, Kyle Busch, to hit the free agent market in many years.

After Mars Inc. informed JGR before the 2022 season that this would be its last with the team, JGR found itself in the difficult position of having to find a replacement primary sponsor and also allot enough budget to afford the salary for a two-time Cup champion still in the prime of his career. It was a puzzle JGR could not completely put together. The result saw Busch decamp to RCR, where it had a piecemeal sponsorship program in place to make a deal work.

“What I like about our model is you have six, seven brands on a car and they’re all taking Austin Dillon to market, and all are taking Kyle Busch and Jesse Love to the market,” Verlander said. “That’s just a further reach by brands promoting who we are. Do you want 38 one-race sponsors? No. In a perfect world, you have a small handful, and everybody shares a little bit of the activation load. But you have to own who you are, and you have to lean into those brands, and you have to be willing to sell three at a time if you need to.”

Outside of a few exceptions, gone are the days of a team having one primary sponsor for the entire season. This trend will likely continue. But at the same time, the number of companies interested has changed, too, with more enticed by NASCAR’s changing complexion.

“It’s certainly better than where it was when I started as a team owner in the Cup Series,” said Brad Keselowski, who became co-owner of RFK Racing beginning with the 2022 season. “… We have really good interest, interest is not a problem for us. Connecting all the dots and getting through the layers of corporate America is seemingly the challenge, more so than interest.”

(Top photo of Denny Hamlin’s Progressive, Christopher Bell’s Dewalt, and Bubba Wallace’s McDonald’s-sponsored cars: Jeffrey Vest / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Motorsports

Larson makes the most out of a difficult day in Nashville

Kyle Larson did it again at Nashville Superspeedway. No, it was not a foot-meets-throat performance that Larson and his Hendrick Motorsports team could put into action on any given Sunday. Nor was it winning the Cracker Barrel 400. What it was instead was Larson being one of the stories of the night for the feat […]

Published

9 minutes ago

June 3, 2025

Your Sports Nation

What it was instead was Larson being one of the stories of the night for the feat of overcoming a car that wanted to do everything but perform the way it needed. Larson and the No. 5 team could have been crowned comeback players of the race, if such an award existed, after starting 28th, falling outside the top 30, and having the hood up on pit road among other things.

But in the end, Larson finished eighth. This means he keeps his box score for Nashville looking better than how it came together.

“It was good,” Larson said of the team’s perseverance. “Every year we come to Nashville in Next Gen, it looks a lot like today where we suck and then somehow get a top 10. Then, on paper, it looks like we’re pretty good here, but we’re not. Gateway would be another track where we typically start off bad and then fight, fight, fight, and get a top 10. So, really, other than Nashville and Gateway, I feel like we’re pretty good everywhere. We’ve just got to get better at these tracks.

“Regardless, I’m happy to recover and rebound. It’s days like this that show the strength of your team, so I’m happy we were able to keep our heads in it: myself, Cliff [Daniels], the team, the pit crew, everybody, and get away with a top 10.”

A 28th-place qualifying effort was the worst for Larason in a Cup Series starting field since March of 2019 at Phoenix Raceway. It was three laps into the race when things started to go sideways, literally, when he got loose in Turn 1 and fell to 35th position.

At the end of the first stage, Larson gave Daniels, his crew chief, a lengthy rundown of the attitude of his Chevrolet, which reminded him of what the team had battled in practice. In describing how unbalanced it felt, Larson said it was loose in the corners, tight in the center, and loose off the corners. There was no rear grip. If he tried to push his luck, Larson felt like he was going to crash.

In other words, “I just don’t feel comfortable at all,” Larson said.

Daniels and the team went to work, telling the driver they were going to do quite a bit under the stage break. Taking two pit stops to do so, the team worked on wedge, the trackbar, and even the front suspension.

In the second stage, Larson was nearly collected in a multi-car crash with Alex Bowman and Noah Gragson in Turn 3. Bowman lost control entering the corner and slid up into Gragson to start the incident, with Larson slowing down within inches of running into Gragson.

There was also the moment in the second stage when he had to come back down pit road to tighten a wheel. Larson was back inside the top 10, which would be for good, on lap 199 of 300.

“It was a bit wild,” Larson said. “I don’t know if TV was probably able to catch everything that went on with my day. But we struggled with our balance and then had some things happen along the way, and got a lot of luck along the way, too.

“So, it was unfortunate to not be as fast and have the balance that we wanted, but once we kind of just gave up on trying to fix it all and just focused on gaining track position, we had some good restarts and then settled in and would have another good restart and settle in. Yeah, it was good to recover to the top 10 but we would like to be better here.”

In five starts at Nashville, Larson has one victory (2021) along with finishes of fourth, fifth, eighth, and eighth again in the four races in the Next Gen era.

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Motorsports

Which streets will be closed for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race? – NBC Chicago

The NASCAR Chicago Street Race is coming back to the Windy City this summer. The race itself will take place July 5 and 6, and the city will see traffic pattern effects leading up to the event. Here’s a rundown of streets that will be closed, according to the City of Chicago. Pre-race activity in […]

Published

10 minutes ago

June 3, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NASCAR Chicago Street Race is coming back to the Windy City this summer.

The race itself will take place July 5 and 6, and the city will see traffic pattern effects leading up to the event.

Here’s a rundown of streets that will be closed, according to the City of Chicago.

Pre-race activity in Grant Park

June 19: Full closure of Balbo Drive from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. “No Parking” restrictions will be put in place along southbound and northbound Columbus Drive between Jackson Drive and Balbo Drive
June 20: Curb lane closure on northbound and southbound Columbus drive between Jackson Drive and Balbo Drive.
June 23: Full closure on Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive, westbound between Congress Plaza Drive and Michigan Avenue will remain open and eastbound will be closed.
June 23: Temporary closure of northbound Michigan Avenue between Congress Plaza Drive and Jackson Drive until 6 a.m. June 24
June 25: Temporary closure of northbound Columbus Drive between Balbo Drive and Jackson Drive until 5 a.m. June 26

Pre-race weekend street closures

June 26 (10 p.m.): Closure of Jackson Drive between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive
June 27 (12:01 a.m.): Closure of Balbo Drive from Columbus Drive to Michigan Avenue
June 28 (10 p.m.): Closure of Congress Plaza Drive
June 30 (12:01 a.m.): Closure of Columbus Drive from Jackson Drive to Roosevelt Road
July 2 (10 p.m.): Closure of westbound and eastbound Roosevelt Road, from Michigan Avenue and DuSable Lake Shore Drive
July 3 (12:01 a.m.): Closure of southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Randolph Street and McFetridge Road
July 3 (10 p.m.): Closure of northbound and southbound Michigan Avenue from Roosevelt Road to Jackson Drive and northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Randolph Street and McFetridge Road

Race weekend street closures: July 5 and 6

Southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Randolph Street to McFetridge Drive
Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive from McFetridge Drive to Randolph Street
Northbound Michigan Avenue from Roosevelt Road to Monroe Street
Southbound Michigan Avenue from south of Monroe Street to 8^th Street
Monroe Street from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Road to Monroe Street
Roosevelt Road from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Michigan Avenue
Jackson Drive from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Balbo Drive from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive
Congress Plaza Drive from Harrison Street to Van Buren Street
Northbound Indiana Avenue from Roosevelt Road to 13th Street
Post Place: Entrance and exit of Lower Wacker Drive
Garvey Court: Entrance and exit of Lower Wacker Drive

For more information, including possible alternative routes, see the City of Chicago website.

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Motorsports

NASCAR’s new $1M In-season Challenge starts with drivers focused more on winning races – Action News Jax

LEBANON, Tenn. — (AP) — Bubba Wallace sees NASCAR having all the momentum possible right now with different media partners. Perfect timing then for NASCAR’s “In-season Challenge” to debut, right? Well, Wallace forgot that was about to debut. “For me to forget about it and remember how exciting it was when they announced, I think […]

Published

34 minutes ago

June 3, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LEBANON, Tenn. — (AP) — Bubba Wallace sees NASCAR having all the momentum possible right now with different media partners.

Perfect timing then for NASCAR’s “In-season Challenge” to debut, right?

Well, Wallace forgot that was about to debut.

“For me to forget about it and remember how exciting it was when they announced, I think it’s going to be big for the fans to tune in and and give them a little bit more … you’re just invested more,” Wallace said.

Kyle Larson just tried his latest attempt at “the Double” of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. Count him among those who didn’t realize NASCAR’s new in-season competition had its field of 32 set after Sunday night’s Cup Series race at the Nashville Superspeedway.

“I just really haven’t seen anything promoted about it, so I think it’s easy to forget about it,” Larson said.

NASCAR announced this new in-season competition in May 2024, so drivers can be forgiven for being focused on the second half of the season.

The format is simple: 32 drivers race for seeding over the next three races starting at Michigan on Sunday and concluding at Pocono on June 22. Drivers are seeded by their best finish for the five-race competition starting at Atlanta.

Then it goes to single elimination with the field cut to 16 at Chicago, eight at Sonoma, four at Dover and the final two at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The winner gets $1 million, and that does get drivers’ attention as part of the new media rights deal that includes TNT.

“It’s going to be something fun that you pay attention to, and there’s good money on the line,” said Larson, the 2021 Cup Series champ. “So, you’ve just got to be really consistent throughout.”

Chris Buescher of RFK Racing is among those who didn’t realize this challenge is starting. He needs race victories after losing points for a penalty at Kansas in May. The prize is nice.

“That’s real money,” Buescher said. “But I don’t want that to change how we go to the race track. We need to figure out how to win races. There’s a lot more than that on the line at the end of the year.”

Three-time Cup Series champ Joey Logano compared this event’s prize to the money up for grabs in the All-Star Race and this new competition like a stage win.

“This is a little longer thing, but it’s a race within the race,” Logano said. “So you’re not willing to give up a lot to do that, right?”

Denny Hamlin was excited when the In-season Challenge was first announced. Then he saw the courses for this competition, and his enthusiasm dimmed with the number of road courses included.

“Truthfully, we’re going to get pretty lucky or have such a good draw that just things kind of work out,” Hamlin said. “I wish it was more conventional ovals, but I think that’s just the way the schedule works out. And it’s unfortunately not probably my prime part of the season.”

Brad Keselowski and his No. 6 Ford for RFK Racing went into Nashville at 32 — right on the line to be included in that chase for seeding. He hadn’t given the competition much thought focused on this season. But he thinks it will be fun once it starts.

“It’s good for the sport, good for our fans and it’s a competition,” Keselowski said. “If there’s competition, we want to win it. But that said, I think our heads down on one week at a time, in some ways one day at a time. … And it’s hard to look further ahead than that.”

Team Penske all set for the playoffs

With Ryan Blaney’s first victory of the season at Nashville Superspeedway, Team Penske now has its three drivers qualified for the NASCAR Cup playoffs even with Nashville the first race of the second half of this year.

Blaney, who hadn’t won since November, joined Austin Cindric, who won at Talladega, and three-time Cup Series champ Joey Logano, a winner at Texas. Josh Berry, whose Wood Brothers Racing team has a relationship with Team Penske, also won at Las Vegas.

Michael Nelson, president of Team Penske’s NASCAR operations, said it was nice to have that pressure off all the teams.

“It’s obviously pretty awesome to have a little bit of that pressure off for the guys,” Nelson said. “And again … it gives you a chance to go out and take some chances here and there and try to rack up a bunch of wins. So now we’re grateful to be at this point with our cars this time of year.”

Careful there Hocevar

Carson Hocevar matched his career-best finish driving from 26th to second at Nashville. The 22-year-old driver in his second Cup Series season with Spire Motorsports ticked off Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with his aggressive style.

Hocevar clipped Stenhouse on Lap 106 of 300, sending him into the wall and out of the race. Stenhouse said Hocevar was overly aggressive and will talk to the young driver. Just not after the race.

“No,” Stenhouse said, “that costs too much money.”

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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Motorsports

Cook Out Summer Shootout Roars Back for 32nd Season – Speedway Digest

Buckle up as the Cook Out Summer Shootout returns to America’s Home for Racing for its 32nd thrilling season. This summer tradition is back and more jam-packed than ever, delivering high-speed racing, outrageous theme nights and interactive family fun every week for two straight months. Each week, watch as more than 175 of the nation’s […]

Published

49 minutes ago

June 2, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Each week, watch as more than 175 of the nation’s top grassroots racers hit the famed Charlotte Motor Speedway quarter-mile, putting on an adrenaline-pumping show under the lights. From bumper-to-bumper battles on the track to games, giveaways and surprises in the stands, every night offers something new for fans of all ages.

From rising young talents chasing their racing dreams to appearances from motorsports stars like Bubba Wallace, Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin and more, this summer’s action on the frontstretch quarter-mile is shaping up to be unforgettable.

The season’s green flag drops with a doubleheader on Monday, June 9, and Tuesday, June 10. Kick off the season right on Monday with the Cook Out Kickoff, presented by Cook Out. Swing by your nearest Cook Out, grab a fancy milkshake or a giant tea, and bring your cup to the gate for FREE admission to a full-throttle night of racing fun.

Then don’t miss Tuesday’s Media Mayhem, presented by DSM Luxury Motorsports, where local media personalities trade their microphones for helmets in a high-stakes school bus slobberknocker. Will your favorite newscaster cross the finish line first? Come find out — get the inside scoop live from the track!

Whether it’s dressing up in your best cowboy hat or watching fireworks burst over the track, each night brings a one-of-a-kind experience. Here’s the full lineup for this season’s Cook Out Summer Shootout:

Monday, June 9: Cook Out Kickoff presented by Cook Out

FREE entry with a Cook Out cup

Tuesday, June 10: Media Mayhem presented by DSM Luxury Motorsports

Local media personalities face off in a school bus scramble

Tuesday, June 17: Laps and Lassos presented by DSM Luxury Motorsports

Dress up in your best western gear, get $5 off

Tuesday, June 24: NASCAR Night presented by NASCAR Hall of Fame

Wear your favorite NASCAR driver gear, get $5 off

Tuesday, June 30: Night of Games presented by Bojangles

The 100th person through the gate gets a BIG prize

Monday, July 1: Red, White and Vrooms presented by Pro FABrication Headers & Exhaust

First responders and military personnel get in FREE
$15 ticket – includes post-race firework show & driver autograph session

Tuesday, July 8: Lug Nut’s Birthday Party

Bring a toy donation for Lug Nut, and get in FREE

Tuesday, July 15: Camping Night presented by DSM Luxury Motorsports

Boys & Girls Scouts in uniform get in FREE

Tuesday, July 22: Speedway Sports Night presented by DSM Luxury Motorsports

Rep your favorite team, get $5 off

Tuesday, July 29: Champions Night presented by DSM Luxury Motorsports

Round 2 of the school bus smackdown
Buy a Round 10 ticket for a chance to win four FREE tickets to the Cook Out Monster Truck Bash!
$15 ticket – includes post-race firework show & driver autograph session

DRIVE OUT HUNGER:

All summer long, fans who bring a canned food donation to the gate will receive $2 off their ticket. Donations will directly benefit local Blessing Boxes.

ABOUT COOK OUT SUMMER SHOOTOUT:

Celebrating its 32nd season, the Cook Out Summer Shootout is a 10-race showcase of speed, featuring eight racing divisions of Legend Cars and Bandoleros. Races are held each Tuesday night under the lights with championship points on the line all summer long.

TICKETS:

Tickets are $10; kids 12 and under get in FREE. For tickets, schedules and more details about all the happenings at Charlotte Motor Speedway, visit www.charlottemotorspeedeay.com/tickets.

KEEP TRACK:

Follow all the thrilling Cook Out Summer Shootout action at Charlotte Motor Speedway on X, Facebook and Instagram.

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Motorsports

Tickets on sale now for 2025 INDYCAR and NASCAR race weekends at Portland International Raceway – Speedway Digest

Public ticket sales began today (June 2) at 10 a.m. PT for all multi-day tickets for two major August race events at Portland International Raceway (PIR) – the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland, featuring the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and Pacific Office Automation 147, headlined by the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, featuring the […]

Published

51 minutes ago

June 2, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, featuring the stars and cars of the Indianapolis 500, returns to the Rose City on Aug. 8-10, followed by the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ fourth annual event at PIR on Aug. 29-30 over Labor Day weekend. With both major motorsport events slated to bring high-speed thrills to Pacific Northwest race fans in the same month, August is ‘Speed Month’ at the historic 12-turn permanent road course.

As of this morning, multi-day Grandstand seats, General Admission tickets and parking passes are available for purchase for both action-packed weekends. Single-day tickets will be released later in the summer for both events.

“Portland International Raceway is the place to be for race fans in the Pacific Northwest this August. ‘Speed Month’ will be action-packed in Portland with the thrilling NTT INDYCAR SERIES, fender-bending NASCAR Xfinity Series and much more,” said Jerry Jensen, vice president and general manager of Green Savoree Portland, LLC, which owns and operates the event at PIR. “Now is the time for fans to select their preferred spots at PIR with multi-day tickets available for both exciting weekends!”

Grandstand seats are available at multiple price points for both events with 3-Day Grandstand seats at the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland starting at $85 and 2-Day Grandstand tickets starting at $80 for the Pacific Office Automation 147. Both events offer weekend General Admission tickets for $75.

For the NTT INDYCAR SERIES weekend only, fans can also purchase Pit and Paddock passes, plus Champions Club and Champions Club+ options to further enhance the race weekend experience. For a limited time while supplies last, the Champions Club membership includes an NTT INDYCAR SERIES Paddock Pass and offers premium access and exclusive benefits such as a personalized event credential, pre-race grid walk and more. Champions Club+ includes all the above benefits plus a Pit Pass which provides access to pitlane during practice and qualifying sessions. A Paddock Pass offers entry to “the locker room of motorsports” to get up close to the drivers, cars and teams throughout the weekend.

Both events offer a tremendous family value. Children 12 and under receive free General Admission when attending either event with a ticketed adult. Additionally, Rookie Racers memberships are on sale offering unique, behind-the-scenes experiences for kids ages 5-12.

All ticket pricing and options, including parking passes and RV Club spaces, are posted online at RacePortland.com. Both events feature no fees on order processing for online orders. Stay up to speed on these premier Portland events on social media all year long by following #PortlandGP and #NASCARPortland or by signing up for the E-Club on the website.

PIR PR

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Motorsports

Atlanta Motor Speedway teases ‘major news announcement’ after eagle-eyed NASCAR fan sparks rumors

Atlanta Motor Speedway looks to be setting up for something big. According to Joseph Srigley of TobyChristie.com, the racetrack will be making a “major news announcement” at 11:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith, track general manager Brandon Hutchinson and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will be present for the announcement. Christopher Bell […]

Published

51 minutes ago

June 2, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Atlanta Motor Speedway looks to be setting up for something big. According to Joseph Srigley of TobyChristie.com, the racetrack will be making a “major news announcement” at 11:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith, track general manager Brandon Hutchinson and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will be present for the announcement. Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing and Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing will also be in attendance.

While the official reveal will come in less than 24 hours, the expectation is that Atlanta will be undergoing a name change. This past weekend, a fan on Reddit (u/Positive_Action_7539) posted a picture of the grandstands. Where it would normally say “Atlanta Motor Speedway,” it now says “EchoPark Speedway.”

Atlanta Motor Speedway set for name change?

EchoPark already has a substantial presence in NASCAR. The car dealership serves as the main sponsor for the Cup Series race at COTA, as well as Dover Motor Speedway. Now, a track sponsorship appears to be next. Along with the new name, it looks like the grandstands got a new paint job as well. A lot of change at Atlanta in recent years and this is just the next step.

Formerly known as Atlanta International Speedway, the 1.54-mile track has been hosting Cup races since 1960. It’s recognized as one of the more exciting tracks on the schedule due to its intermediate/superspeedway layout, and it hosts two races each season.

Atlanta’s second date comes later this month, the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart. The race, broadcasted on TNT, kicks off the inaugural five-race NASCAR In-Season Tournament.

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