Back on Aug. 6, the National Guard announced that due to budget cuts in their marketing division, they would be leaving motorsports at the end of 2014. The cuts affect both Hendrick Motorsports‘ No. 88 team in the Sprint Cup Series and Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s No. 15 team in the Verizon IndyCar Series. At the time, Hendrick Motorsports stated that they had a signed contract through 2015.
On Friday morning, Hendrick Motorsports gave a very brief update on the situation.
“Representing the National Guard and its Citizen Soldiers is an extraordinary honor and source of pride for our entire organization,” the team’s statement reads. “Communication is ongoing with regard to the future of the sponsorship, which is contracted through the 2015 season.”
Any move by the National Guard to end the sponsorship at the end of this season would likely trigger a buyout clause in the contract where they would have to pay Hendrick Motorsports to exit. The team still desires to hold the National Guard to their existing deal.
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.
Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.