MARTINSVILLE, Va. - When it comes to making a sponsor happy, no other sport does it better than NASCAR, according to a study from Sports Business Journal.
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The magazine talked with national sponsors that are involved in professional sports throughout the country and found NASCAR sponsors have more satisfaction with they way they're being represented by race teams than any other sport.
Overall, NASCAR, the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour and the NHRA drag-racing series ranked as favorites among sponsors who spend billions a year in advertising, the magazine said.
The IRL IndyCar Series, CART Champ Car World Series and the WNBA were ranked as the least-favorites.
NEMECHEK FINDS WORK: Another piece of the employment puzzle fell into place this week when Joe Nemechek was hired to drive the No. 01 U.S. Army Pontiac for MB2 Motorsports for the final five races of the season and all of 2004.
His hiring is the first sign that Jerry Nadeau's recovery from head injuries in a crash last May isn't going as well as hoped.
Nemechek will leave his ride with the No. 25 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports and report to the Army car for this week's Subway 500 at the Martinsville Speedway. Brian Vickers, who was signed to drive for Hendrick next year, now will finish the year in Nemechek's old car. And since he will be making less than seven starts this year, Vickers will maintain his rookie status for 2004.
Nadeau had hoped to be back in the car in time for February's Daytona 500. Instead, he slowly will return by making selected starts in the Winston Cup, Busch and ARCA series. Nemechek's NEMCO Busch Series team, as well as Hendrick Motorsports, will partner to provide cars for Nadeau next year.
"I have repeatedly said that I will not rush back," Nadeau said. "I still have a ways to go, but I will get there."
GEISLER GETS CHANCE: Travis Geisler, a seven-time winner this year on the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series' Late Model Competition, will drive a Ford for Andy Belmont at Saturday's ARCA Re/Max Series finale at the South Boston (Va.) Speedway.
For Geisler, a recent mechanical engineering graduate from Vanderbilt University, it's the first step in realizing his dream of racing in a national series. It's a step that takes Belmont closer to his own dream of moving out of the driver's seat and into a full-time roll as car owner.
"Youth is definitely the future at Andy Belmont Motorsports so you can understand why we are getting excited," Belmont said. "Travis can drive his tail off and he brings a ton of potential to this organization."
PIT STOPS: Two-time Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie will drive the No. 48 Chevrolet for Innovative Motorsports Saturday at the Busch Series race in Memphis. ... Johnny Sauter will drive the No. 27 Pontiac for Brewco Motorsports next year on the Busch Series circuit with sponsorship from Kimberly-Clark's Kleenex. That car has been driven by Chase Montgomery and Joey Clanton this year.
