Are multiple car sponsors a year making fans leave

Yeah I could see this as being part of the problem. Back in the day I'm pretty sure everyone knew who sponsored each car and driver. i.e. Dale Sr. was Wrangler or GM Goodwrench in his later years. Tony Stewart was Home Depot, J Gordon was Dupont, Rusty Wallace was Miller, etc.
Now teams have troubles getting sponsorship for the whole year and so the colors of the cars change every so often. For me, when the colors change that drastically I have no idea who is driving the car unless it is one of my drivers.
At Talladega this past week the 5 car was silver and green and I didn't know who was in that car until I could actually see the number. Tough to see the number when cars are going 200mph.
Anyway, my response is yes, I believe that changing sponsorships throughout the year makes it difficult for casual fans to follow from week to week.
 
Even worse when some of teams have the same sponsors on all their cars and the same paint schemes on all their cars from time to time.

That one time Stewart-Haas had four Mobil-1 cars, all with identical paint schemes, that was hard to follow. I mean, I knew which of the four drivers was the car running in 33rd :lol2: but the other three were in the top-10 and you couldn't tell them apart.
 
I can see it being a problem It used to be you could pretty well pick out your favorite car and driver just by the paint scheme. Now it might be a different sponsor or a different paint and you're still searching.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Even worse when some of teams have the same sponsors on all their cars and the same paint schemes on all their cars from time to time.

That one time Stewart-Haas had four Mobil-1 cars, all with identical paint schemes, that was hard to follow. I mean, I knew which of the four drivers was the car running in 33rd :lol2: but the other three were in the top-10 and you couldn't tell them apart.
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I liked it. Would have been a cool diecast set.
 
I've never thought that a sponsor had any influence on whether fans are interested in a specific form of motorsports.
If fans don't leave because a driver switches teams, I can't imagine that a sponsor change would be a deal breaker.
I believe that there are several factors for the decline in interest in the sport but I don't feel that a sponsor change or multiple sponsors on a single car would be at the top of the list.
 
but it does add more variety, unfortunately the dozens of die cast are the same driver and not different ones.
 
Back in the day, drivers would have the same primary sponsor and paint scheme for years. It was easy to follow the drivers for hardcore and casual fans alike.

Now it seems like everyone has 8 different sponsors and 20 different paint schemes every year. It's impossible to keep track of everything and I think it can cause people, especially casual fans, to be turned off by the sport. It also doesn't help that drivers seem to be switching teams every 3 years and teams switching manufacturers just as regularly.
 
Drivers changing teams & switching manufactures has always been a thing. Sponsor consistency would be nice, but that's the state of the economy, and interest in auto racing for whatever reason.
 
aunty dive said:
The cars are numbered.

I have no idea why the sponsor name matters considering the concern over commercialization of the sport.
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Paint scheme recognition more than anything else. If every car ran the same paint scheme but changed the decal on the hood, no one would care.
 
IMO only fair weather types would get hung up on the sponsorhip. Maybe someone would object and not root for product they couldn't support. Example someone opposed to alcohol, or a certain politicians name on a car.

But in most cases a diehard loyalist that demands a certain sponsor in order maintain interest, would have a connection to the said product. Maybe even a recipent of the product connected hospitality perks i.e race tickets, pit passes, food, suites, etc...

I just dont see an average Nascar Joe or Jane, saying Coca Cola is my favorite product, so my favorite car will always be one they sponsor.... In contrast many would remain loyal to a favorite driver, regardless of team, car brand, sponsors, colors, or numbers.

exceptions to Ferrari types in F1, and a very few scattered Nascar, Chevy, Ford, Toyoyta types.
 
I don't like all the different sponsors, but the cost of racing is getting out of hand. I don't think they are getting the return on their money. how many sponsors can one person support? I only use one brand of oil when I change my oil. she only use's one brand of laundry detergent.
 
BOWTIE GUY said:
I don't like all the different sponsors, but the cost of racing is getting out of hand. I don't think they are getting the return on their money. how many sponsors can one person support? I only use one brand of oil when I change my oil. she only use's one brand of laundry detergent.
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I miss the simpler times too. When STP, Goodwrench etc was always there and the sponsorship logistics had to be easier and simplier in the day for the teams. Now a driver probably has to have a daily calender, maybe even an assistant posted nearby giving ques to remind him of who is paying for today.

But everything hinges on resorces or money, especially money in racing. Nascar Budgets simply have exceeded what most any fortune 500 is willing to pay. So you judge deals today by the number of races they will support, verses signing on for a year.
Nothing is perfect, and ideals often remained unfulfilled. But the sponsors pay the bills and usually have the power to set the terms. It probably is a postive overall. If a sponsor had to do a whole year deals or nothing, there would be a very few.
A lot of players can't or will not buy the whole pie, but they will buy pieces.
So life goes on...and the teams have a bigger market or sponsor pool and life line to keep them going.
 
Greg said:
I miss the simpler times too. When STP, Goodwrench etc was always there and the sponsorship logistics had to be easier and simplier in the day for the teams. Now a driver probably has to have a daily calender, maybe even an assistant posted nearby giving ques to remind him of who is paying for today.

But everything hinges on resorces or money, especially money in racing. Nascar Budgets simply have exceeded what most any fortune 500 is willing to pay. So you judge deals today by the number of races they will support, verses signing on for a year.
Nothing is perfect, and ideals often remained unfulfilled. But the sponsors pay the bills and usually have the power to set the terms. It probably is a postive overall. If a sponsor had to do a whole year deals or nothing, there would be a very few.
A lot of players can't or will not buy the whole pie, but they will buy pieces.
So life goes on...and the teams have a bigger market or sponsor pool and life line to keep them going.
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I'm glade the different sponsors keep joining up, to keep the racing on going.
 
Ok, to me, this is a very silly reason to for a "fan" to stop being a fan, sponsors make the sport go around, I would rather my driver have multiply sponsors through out the year then none and not being able to be competitive or even get to race.
 
While I'm thankful that they are there, I hate the multiple sponsorship's of cars. Sure, they've still got the same numbers but there's nothing like paint scheme recognition. The color combinations are the first thing that catches your eye when you see these cars on the track. Those days are long gone.

Is that causing fans to leave the sport? Not this fan & not any former fan that I've talked to. Most that I've talked to cite time restraints or simple lack of funds to attend the events. I know that's the only reason I don't attend the races that I used to.
 
Paint schemes are sorta like public transportation, weather and/or women.

Don’t like what ya see, ‘nother’ll be along shortly.
 
Changing paint schemes have been the least of my concerns with respect to Nascar but they have made an impact. Way back when I could see a shot of the entire field and know where Terry Labonte was in the 11 Bud car or where Micheal Waltrip was in the Country Time Lemonade ride or what position Sterling and the 94 Sunoco Olds where in. I knew just by seeing hazy non hi-def pictures of the roofs of the cars. I bet I am not the only one. Another thing is I remember the cars, numbers and sponsors from 30-40 years ago.

As I have said before there are so many sponsors now I don't even who sponsors most of the cars or what product or service is being advertised. Once in a while I see an hideous looking orange car (I think Carl Edwards) sponsored by Anus or something like that. What's up with that?
 
Agree that fans that already follow the sport wouldn't be too bothered by this, but if we are trying to attract new fans then yes it becomes more difficult for those casual fans to become regular fans.
You could say the same thing about other sports with how often players are traded or sign with new teams. So it is certainly not a NASCAR specific thing either.
 
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Leave? I don't think so.

Making the cars harder to follow during the race by having different paint schemes at times? Absolutely.

Especially for an old guy with old guy eyes like me.
 
KK is going to need a couple sponsors to replace Farmers after next season.
Maybe the #5 car will get a new driver after 2018. Maybe.
 
it really doesnt bother me as long as they are sponsored but the white xfinity cars are quite worrysome
 
Perhaps NASCAR will require white cars to have numbers in contrasting colors on them some day.
 
I agree with Skoal that years ago..... it was so easy to pick out every car on the track because you knew who each cars sponsor was for the year... and maybe even multiple years.... the paint schemes stayed the same for all year.. now...... it's a whole different deal every week.... if it isn't a new sponsor.... it's a different paint scheme... it hasn't kept me from watching.. but... it has kept me from trying to keep up with who is in what car.... makes it a lot harder to pick them out on the track......
 
Most all of us here are serious fans--we make the effort to seek out a message board, register, and post about the sport--and almost everyone here admits it has made the sport harder to follow. For the more casual fan, this may be a determining factor. Not really sure would could be done about this, I suspect it is partially why the drivers names are now on the windshield.
 
likely affects new fans more. they say "hey i like that driver" the next race they look for that car and cant find him. why? because hes got a different sponsor and paint scheme
 
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