Is NASCAR Going Sprint?

With the news today that NASCAR may be about to rename their top series the NASCAR Sprint Cup, one has to ask themselves this question: Is NASCAR about to confuse fans and non-fans alike? Yes, as many auto racing fans know, there is an actual type of racing format known as sprint car racing. Sprint racing often involves small, wing-topped cars fueled with alcohol that are designed for use on race tracks---unlike the "stock cars" which look and operate much more like the typical, mass-produced models which provide the basic design and mechanical scheme for NASCAR's top-series cars.

What is NASCAR thinking? How could the almost-sixty-year-old racing body allow a company named Sprint to sponsor a stock car series? It is confusing enough that NASCAR is once again renaming their top racing series---think of the number of people who still refer to the prestigious class of NASCAR racing as the Winston Cup. Now, NASCAR is going to befuddle people once again with not only a new name but one that, for many, seems to belie the very type of racing for which the sponsor supports. What would happen if there was a company named "Dragster" that wanted to prominently support the elite stock car series? Would NASCAR begin fielding a stock car tier called NASCAR Dragster Cup Series? Though seemingly an absurd name for a stock car, oval-and-road-course series, this hypothetical now does not seem that far-fetched.

NASCAR may have been well-suited in many respects to shed an image of cigarettes and nicotine by ceasing a naming relationship with Winston. However, remembering the name of NASCAR's top series may become harder if the main sponsor is liable to change every few years. What is more, NASCAR should be wary of accepting a sponsor name that may confuse fans and laymen alike as to what sort of racing is going on under a said sponsor's banner.