Jim Beam to quit NASCAR

One day after Jack Daniel's announced it was leaving NASCAR, Beam Global Spirits and Wine Inc., maker of Jim Beam bourbon, announced Tuesday it will not extend its sponsorship with Robby Gordon Motorsports beyond this season and will not return to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2010.

The company says it plans to focus its marketing resources on other platforms.

Jack Daniel's announced Monday it would not extend its sponsorship with Richard Childress Racing's #07 team. Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel's parent company, and Beam entered NASCAR in 2005 when NASCAR lifted its sponsorship ban on distillers.

"It was a difficult decision to transition away from being a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team sponsor," said Bill Newlands, president of Beam Global Spirits and Wine U.S.

"We always take a hard look at our marketing resources and how we can best interact with legal-purchase-age consumers. After an extensive review of our marketing strategy, we have come up with new alternatives to fuel growth for Jim Beam in 2010."

The company will continue its sponsorship of the team and owner/driver Robby Gordon for the remainder of this season.

"Jim Beam has been a great partner for the past five years," Gordon said. "I would like to thank them for their support through the years.

"They have been with me since we started the team in 2005, helping build our Cup team and aiding in its success."

by Sporting News