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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: BAM Out Indefinitely
BAM Racing will remain on the sidelines for an indefinite period, as anticipated sponsorship has failed to materialize...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted April 16, 2008   Harrisburg, N.C.
Six races into the 2008 season, BAM Racing owned by Beth Ann Morganthau called it quits. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

BAM Racing, which has skipped the last two races at Phoenix and Texas, will remain on the sidelines for an indefinite period, as anticipated sponsorship has failed to materialize.

Things were looking positive for the small, single-car team as recently as Martinsville, where Microsoft sponsored the newly converted No. 49 Toyota and driver Ken Schrader qualified seventh using an engine built by Bill Davis Racing. At that time, the two teams were actively discussing a possible merger.

But a message from team owner Beth Ann Morgenthau on the BAM Racing website indicated the team will be sidelined indefinitely. “Our recent switch to Toyota is a strong testament to our focus and commitment to become more competitive,” Morgenthau’s letter read in part. “Even though we were disappointed it became necessary to miss two races to complete the transition to Toyota. We were excited about the potential for the balance of the 2008 season.”

“That excitement was abruptly interrupted this past week by news that a primary sponsorship deal once planned for the majority of the 2008 season had been reduced to a fraction of a season and that fraction will likely be in the fall,” she continued. “The private company has been in the process of raising funds in the equity market for working capital which included a portion going to a product launch using the No. 49 race car. Due to the uncertainty of the stock market raising the capital is taking longer than expected.”

And that means the team will be unable to race, at least temporarily.

“With no other primary sponsor currently in place to fill the void the harsh reality of this most recent news is that we are forced to reduce our 2008 participation to a partial season,” Morgenthau’s note continued. “Our marketing groups are working hard to fill the sponsorship void so we can get back on the track sooner than later. When new primary sponsorship is secured you will be one of the first to know! It is of little consolation that we are not alone in this plight. The uncertain economic times affecting our sponsor are affecting sponsorships throughout NASCAR and are having a winnowing affect on the number of teams showing up each week to compete."

To that point, last weekend’s Sprint Cup race in Phoenix had only 45 entrants, the smallest field of the season. In addition to BAM, BDR has shuttered one of its Cup cars, the No. 27 Toyota, due to a lack of sponsorship, and several other prominent teams remain unsponsored for all or part of the rest of the season.

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Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to
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