US Army pulling out of NASCAR at end of season

[Lint Head]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The U.S. Army will not return to Stewart-Haas Racing next season, citing a reallocation of its marketing budget that does not include a presence in NASCAR. SHR says it is pursuing a new sponsor to partner with the many companies that help fund the race team. The U.S. Army has been a longtime sponsor in NASCAR, and has been with Ryan Newman at SHR since 2009 when the team was formed.

http://www.charter.net/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CD9VU34M84%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=1013

Wow. 80 million dollars for the military to sponsor NASCAR. I agree that sports and war machines should not be in bed together.

[Auggie]

1. The Army was spending $80 million to market just to NASCAR fans?

Health care for vets, please.

[Arctic Dave]

2. The military budget for advertising should be ZERO.

Spending that much to sucker kids into joining up is idiotic.

Imagine the savings.

[Mike_Valentine]

7. Those poor "suckers"...

Good thing there are smart guys like you to keep em straight.

No recruiting = No recruits = No Military = Figure it out...

[Arctic Dave]

8. Read the post, I said advertising.

Like no one would know the military is recruiting if we didn't piss away ungodly amount of money showing glam shots with crappy music in the background. Figure it out.

[Mike_Valentine]

10. Got it...

Great idea to leave the defense of the nation and advancement of our national interest to word of mouth...

[Ikonoklast]

11. Yeah. How did we ever do it before television?

Your argument is invalid.

[Mike_Valentine]

16. The post was not about television..

It was about advertising...

I suspect they used the media of the day...

[Ikonoklast]

18. Hmmm. Seems that posters used to work just fine.

They must have worked, I recollect people joining the military services before TV ads or the draft compelling them to do so.

It worked on my Dad. He was neither drafted, or even had a TV.


We still have those around, or something just like it, right? I think I saw one outside the local Armed Forces recruiting center in town, just last week.


Looks like the Army wasted $80 million dollars.

Seems they agree.

You never cancel an effective ad campaign, only the losers get the axe.


I concede your point within limits, but only if you agree that television IS advertising.

[Mike_Valentine]

19. Of course television is advertising...

A NASCAR car is basically a 190 mph poster in any case.

This program may well have been ineffective and thus pulled. I have no problem with that.

My point from the original post... http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002925954#post2 ...

... was that it is silly, at best, to claim that the advertising budget for the military, in all forms, should be 0.

On a personal note, I also disagree with the notion that anyone who joins is being "suckered." It reeks of elitism and snobbery.

[Arctic Dave]

15. Yeah, because the military is some obscure underground entity that is having trouble

getting attention.


Derp ah derp ah derp ah.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. That is peanuts in marketing budget

that is the truth. Their ROI must suck though... only explanation as to why they are pulling out.

Dissect it for what it means though...

[Fumesucker]

9. Yeah, they spend that kind of money upgrading the golf course on one base..

In terms of the military budget 80 million is chicken feed.

[HooptieWagon]

4. $80 million they're not spending on weapons or war. nt

[UncleTomsEvilBrother]

5. Well....

...I wouldn't be surprised if the Army stopped the advertising because of the harsh treatment the First Lady received at one of the races.

[Lint Head]

6. Is this conspiracy sarcasm or a joke?

[lpbk2713]

12. Doesn't the military only accept high school grads and above for enlistment now?

Then it stands to reason why they will no longer have a NASCAR presence.

[Baclava]

13. I'd rather the Army stayed in NASCAR and pulled out of Afghanistan. That would save a lot more.

maybe that's just me

[spanone]

14. a fucking ridiculous spending of taxpayers money

[HooptieWagon]

17. In my opinion, the ridiculous waste of taxpayer money

Is two unwinnable wars against countries that didnt attack us. More nascar, less war.