tool name
closeAnother twist in AT&T hang-up
Sponsor files motion to immediately add logos to Burton's car
DAVID POOLE, dpoole@charlotteobserver.com
Monday, Mar. 26, 2007
AT&T filed a motion Monday asking for a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against NASCAR that would allow the company to immediately put its logos on the No. 31 Chevrolet driven by Jeff Burton.
The motion was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, where AT&T's suit in the sponsorship dispute was filed on March 16.
The No. 31 Chevrolet owned by Richard Childress Racing has been sponsored by Cingular Wireless since 2001. BellSouth, which owned the Cingular brand name, recently completed a merger with AT&T, and the Cingular name is to be phased out.
Earlier this year NASCAR rejected the new company's request to add a globe logo representing AT&T to the paint scheme of Burton's car, leading to the lawsuit.
"There are three categories of sponsorship that benefit the entire industry, including the series sponsors, the fuel supplier and the tire manufacturer," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said in a statement. "While it is unfortunate that there is a matter in litigation, it is important to know that NASCAR is defending every driver, team and track by protecting a sponsor that benefits everyone."
NASCAR's 10-year, $750 million deal that makes Sprint Nextel the title sponsor of the Nextel Cup Series provides that company exclusivity in the wireless sector. Cingular and Alltel, Nextel competitors, were in the sport when Nextel came on board in 2003 and were allowed to stay, as long as they did not change their position on their teams -- increasing or decreasing levels of sponsorship -- or change to another team.
AT&T contends that adding its logos to the No. 31 does not constitute a change that can be disallowed under that grandfather clause.
