After the controversy surrounding Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) and their use of an intentional spin out by team driver Clint Bowyer to draw a caution flag and manipulate the standings going into the Nascar championship series, longtime partner of Michael Waltrip Racing NAPA Auto Parts, who were also the sponsor of the car which benefited from the caution, that of fellow MWR driver Martin Truex Jr., decided to pull their multi-million dollar deal with MWR, even after a three year extension announced last August. According to NAPA’s official statement on the issue “NAPA believes in fair play and does not condone actions such as those that led to the penalties assessed by NASCAR. We remain supportive of the millions of NASCAR fans and will evaluate our future position in motorsports” (ESPN)
To see the spin out and interviews with both MWR drivers Clint Bowyer and Martin Treux Jr., along with Dale Earnhardt Jr. directly after the race, click here… watch?v=brrgyDs3CfE
Clint Bowyer’s spinout at the Federated Auto Parts 400
Even though the penalties levied against Waltrip Racing by Nascar were unprecedented in their severity (their driver removed from the championship, a $300,000 fine, the suspension of their general manager and probation of three crew chiefs), perhaps the most significant blow was the pulling of their NAPA sponsorship of Truex Jr.’s number 56 car, a sponsorship which had been around since the first days of MWR in 2007 and was set to continue through the 2015 season.
NAPA’s pulling of their sponsorship is an example of situational theory in public relations, in that they…
- exhibited a high problem recognition regarding their association with cheating in the eyes of their customers
- low constraint recognition due to a likely significant loss in business as long as they remained associated with MWR
- a high level of involvement in the issue due to a multi-million dollar sponsorship and incalculable business profits from their association with Nascar and MWR
- and eventually decided it would better for them to distance themselves from MWR than to continue with them through this issue.
While NAPA’s decision to pull their sponsorship from MWR and Martin Truex Jr. likely had some basis in morality with cheating, the deciding factor was likely the flood of negative feedback they received in the days after the race from Nascar fans and possible customers (Autoweek). The potential damage to their image and resulting business loss from this fiasco outweighed the benefits from their sole sponsorship in Nascar, and through intelligent crisis management they decided the damages outweighed the benefits of staying with MWR. While they are likely to pick up a new driver in the future, the storied chapter in NAPA Auto Part’s story involving a relationship with Michael Waltrip Racing is over.