CUP: Jim Beam Bows Out Of NASCAR, Robby Gordon Motorsports

Sprint Cup

CUP: Jim Beam Bows Out Of NASCAR, Robby Gordon Motorsports

SPEED Staff | Posted September 22, 2009 Charlotte, NC

Jim Beam plans to focus resources on other marketing platforms and so will not be sponsoring Robby Gordon Motorsports in 2010. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., maker of Jim Beam® Bourbon, the world’s number one-selling Bourbon, announced today that its marketing plans for 2010 will not include a return to the NASCAR® Sprint Cup Series™. As a result, the company will not extend its current partnership with Robby Gordon Motorsports in 2010. The company plans to focus its marketing resources for Jim Beam into other platforms that directly impact the end consumer.

“It was a difficult decision to transition away from being a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team sponsor,” said Bill Newlands, president Beam Global Spirits & Wine U.S. “We always take a hard look at our marketing resources and how we can best interact with legal purchase age consumers. After an extensive review of our marketing strategy, we have come up with new alternatives to fuel growth for Jim Beam in 2010.”

Jim Beam will continue its support of Robby Gordon Motorsports for the remainder of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup series schedule.

“Jim Beam has been a great partner for the past five years,” said Robby Gordon. “I would like to thank them for their support through the years. They have been with me since we started the team in 2005, helping build our Cup team and aiding in its success. Great relationships have been formed, and I expect those to continue well into the future.”

“We would like to thank Robby Gordon and the entire No. 7 team for partnering with us these past five years,” Newlands said. “Robby is a fierce and talented competitor and a sponsor couldn’t ask for a more dedicated brand ambassador. Robby Gordon, fans of the Jim Beam No. 7 car and the entire No. 7 team have been very good to us, and that’s what makes this such a difficult decision."