Full Throttle

There’s a reason why so many Fortune 500 companies are part of NASCAR Nation, and it isn’t because they were all transformed into motorheads. It’s that cash baby! and the media exposure that allows the Money Train to remain on schedule.

For example, the mere mention of Kurt Busch’s name or his sponsor Miller Lite was worth a cool $3.64 million in 2007, according to the SportsBusiness Journal (via The Milwaukee Journal) in its annual report.

Keep in mind this only accounts for audio mentions of Kurt or Miller Lite, add in the video time they are seen and the number grows much larger. With both audio and video impressions tracked Jimmie Johnson was the top driver with 7,845 sound bites and video “views” valued at $55.98 million.

Of course that’s not cash in hand, only what the air-time is worth. But it definitively explains why corporations scramble to get on the Money Train, they effectively double the 20-25 million that’s believed to be the going rate for a full sponsorship.

Surprisingly not everyone has a valid ticket, or in the case of ISC and Speedway Motorsports, their car seems to have jumped the tracks and the Money Train has left them on the siding.

Their joint venture, Motorsports Authentics, has layed off 20% of their staff and reports a loss of between $45 million and $50 million for the year.

My first impression was they took it in the shorts when the buying frenzy stopped short of stocking up on Dale Jr./Bud gear after his move. Upon reflection I calculated that loss had to have been balanced out by the New Frenzy of Dale Jr./Amp Energy gear.

It’s all a guess on my part, and what do I know worth a hill of beans. The person that would, Chief Financial Officer Susan Schandel, ain’t talking other than to predict the company will break even in 2008.