NASCAR has been going through a sponsorship crisis in the recent past. NASCAR drivers have struggled to find sponsors to represent while teams have searched the market. With sponsors being a major part of the car’s appearance, the situation has been concerning, to say the least.

Amidst the crisis, one aspect that has been slowly disappearing from NASCAR these days is the presence of contingency sponsors. Contingency sponsors occupy the smallest area on a NASCAR car and are present due to these companies sponsoring teams for multiple parts of the vehicle. The famous NASCAR account on Twitter, Save The Speedway, has expressed concerns about the same and highlighted that contingency sponsors provide more company exposure. The opinion has gone down well with a certain faction of the NASCAR community as they extend their support for it.

NASCAR insider encourages contingency sponsors

In 2017, NASCAR announced that it would introduce a modified program for contingency sponsors. As per NASCAR, this change would allow teams to boost their sponsorship revenue and add more resell value. The new rules were implemented to free up space on cars with contingency sponsors moving to the rear portion of the vehicle.

Teams were allowed to place a limited number of decals that featured the sponsors on the front-side panels. This system has continued since 2018, raising new questions about teams selling contingency area sponsorships to different companies.

Save The Speedway emphasized that sponsoring companies can use the extra amount of exposure, which also helps them with weekly prize money, which can turn into a revenue stream. Posting on Twitter, it said, “Yup, been saying it for years. Sponsors want more exposure, its more than a small sticker, its weekly prize money they can tack their company to on-air, team/driver releases, social, etc. And while we’re at it, move the numbers back.”

The argument has received a mixed response from the fanbase. Concerning appearance, some fans have expressed that the limited presence of contingency sponsors has made cars neater. On the other hand, many fans have also supported Save The Speedway’s opinion.

Read More: “More to Go”- Brad Keselowski Asserts His Team’s Dominance as RFK Racing Trumps HMS & JGR in Off-Season Stats

Fans want contingency sponsors to make a return

Trending

Rick Hendrick Shuts Down Hendrick Motorsports, Asserting Dominance Over the Grid During the Olympic Break

Despite Being Forced to Sell His House, Kevin Harvick Recalls How He Relished Proving Doubters Wrong With Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Vision

Tony Stewart Reveals “It’s Going to Frustrate the Daylights Out of Me” as $526.78 Billion Worth Sponsor Pits Smoke’s Talent Against Fans

NASCAR Rumors: Jimmie Johnson Finally Hanging Up His Firesuit Amidst Legacy Motor Club’s Mass Firing

Tony Stewart Angered His 300 Employees After Losing It All in NASCAR, Claims Kevin Harvick’s Ex-Crew Chief

With the new changes, NASCAR pushed the contingency sponsors out and replaced that area with the car number. While the appearance is a personal opinion, contingency sponsors have earned a place in NASCAR’s culture and history. One of the fans shed light on the same, as he commented,

“I agree I understand that nascar wants the sport to evolve but at the same time there losing what made the sport great. The sport has lost 50 percent of it’s fan base, and im part of that 50 percent even the automakers interest isn’t what it use to be”

Another fan commented at the lack of racing flavor without contingency sponsors, as he wrote, “The cars look so bland these days without the contingency sponsors.”. At the same time, another person said that even in video games, he makes sure contingency sponsors are present on his car, “I always put contingency sponsors on my video game car.”

“Instead of tiny stickers , they do whole race sponsorships,” commented another fan, hinting at an idea that sees these companies sponsor cars for full races instead of their decals sitting at the back of the vehicle.

Watch This Story: Trackhouse Racing’s bold leap into Moto GP

With NASCAR trying to find a solution for rising sponsorship concerns, adding contingency sponsors to cars could be a game-changing move.