What happened to NASCAR contingency sponsors? JGR president explains

NASCAR has made a lot of changes in rules over the years to revamp its structure, and one of those rules was the removal of contingency sponsors. They went away on the Cup cars slowly during the Gen 6 era. Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) president David Alpern recently explained the role and eventual decline of contingency sponsors in the sport.

These contingency sponsors were companies that provided specific parts or support to NASCAR teams in exchange for placing their logo decals on the front of race cars. These decals, resembling bumper stickers, were once a prominent feature of cars, but over time, the importance was shifted to primary sponsors.

According to JGR president David Alpern, the reason behind this rule change is that as sponsorship dynamics evolved, teams decided to reclaim contingent sponsor space to enhance the value they could offer to their primary sponsors—those investing heavily in the team's operations.

In a video posted by JGR on Instagram, Alpern said:

“So what are NASCAR contingency sponsors, and what happened to them? They were the partners who supplied parts and pieces to NASCAR and the teams, and they were the little bumper sticker-looking decals that were on the front portion of the cars.”

“So the teams decided to pull that space back to provide more value to our primary sponsors. It cleans up the look of the car and provides more for the sponsors who are paying for the majority of the car to do with what they want.”

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NASCAR insider once explained the decline of contingency sponsor

In NASCAR, primary sponsors of a team hold a very important role as they share the largest decal and are the most invested in a team. The contingency sponsor was given a smaller space at the front portion of the car.

A primary sponsorship is now a million-dollar investment; not every company can afford it. Earlier, teams who didn’t want to sign a big check could make a competitive bid at a fraction of the cost by signing a contingency contract. This used to be a healthy practice, but as the sport evolved, it came to an end.

FOX Sports’s renowned journalist Bob Pockrass, earlier in the 2024 Cup Series playoffs, shared his insight into the move on X. He wrote:

“They stopped contingency programs on Cup cars to give that area to the teams to sell how they wished.”