Sprint Nextel has a new boss, but company officials said this week that it is too early to talk about whether the Overland Park-based telecommunications giant would have a new relationship with NASCAR.
Dan Hesse was hired to replace Gary Forsee as Sprint Nextel’s chief executive officer a little more than two weeks ago. Since then, a couple of major holidays have slowed Hesse’s ability to jump headlong into his new job.
Dean Kessel, Sprint’s director of NASCAR marketing, said Thursday that there has just not been enough time for Hesse to consider his company’s relationship with the auto racing series.
“It’s still very early in the process,” Kessel said. “We are looking forward to giving Dan a complete overview of our sponsorship and the NASCAR property and how the property activates and how we can leverage it going forward.”
Sprint became involved in NASCAR when it announced it would merge with Virginia-based Nextel in December 2004.
Nextel had purchased entry into NASCAR in 2003 after tobacco company R.J. Reynolds surrendered title sponsorship of the Cup series for the 2004 season. NASCAR’s premier series was renamed Nextel Cup, and that name stayed in place through the 2007 season.
For the 2008 season, the series has been renamed the Sprint Cup.
Sprint officials have consistently stated that they have been happy with their relationship with NASCAR and see no reason to alter it over the final years of the original 10-year deal.
Read full story [Kansas City Star]
