Microsoft Kicks BAM Racing to the Curb?

From the Microsoft Press release:

Today, we are announcing an expansion of the Microsoft Small Business sponsorship in NASCAR with Michael Waltrip Racing, continuing on our commitment to connect the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community (SBSC) with the more than 21 million small and home-based businesses in the U.S.. This new sponsorship with Michael Waltrip Racing is designed to help the participants reach out to the 75 million fan base of NASCAR (that is 1/3 of the population in the U.S.!) along with Microsoft in a way not seen as financially available to many before.

Microsoft is an associate sponsor on Michael Waltrip Racing’s #00 NASCAR Sprint Cup Toyota Camry entry, driven by rookie sensation Michael McDowell. This started at the Aaron’s 499 race at Talladega Superspeedway with the placement of the Microsoft SBSC ‘Blue badge’ on the side of the Team #00 car and is continuing for the remainder of the 2008 season. Michael Waltrip is considered to be an icon in the NASCAR world by many and his role as a brand ambassador is well known. Through this sponsorship, participating partners will be able to be associated with the Michael Waltrip brand as a sponsor and use this to help promote and grow their own company’s brand awareness.

To kick off this exciting new opportunity, the Michael Waltrip Racing #00 car will feature a full car Microsoft Small Business and SBSC primary sponsorship design for the June 1st race at Dover International Speedway in Dover, DE. In addition, the Microsoft Across America Mobile Event Experience Truck will be in the newly designed “Fan Zone” at Dover International Speedway throughout the race weekend where fans can come to view and learn more about Small Business offerings from Microsoft and this sponsorship.

Etcetera…

My two or three sheckles: Note the PR “brain” that wrote this release needs to issue a “service pack,” for the release. 75 million - a nebulous number no matter who spins it - is not one third of the current U.S. population that has gone over the 300 million mark.

Anyway, math skills of PR wonks aside, what does this mean for Bam Racing?

Sadly the presser provides why the #00 gets this cash outlay and not the much more in need Bam Racing: “All three of Michael Waltrip Racing’s (MWR) cars (#00, #44, #55) are in the top 35 in owner’s points, which means they are guaranteed to be on the track for the upcoming races of the 2008 NASCAR season.”

Beth Ann Morgenthau has struggled there’s little doubt about that, and at the time she announced a two race suspension of operations that has stretched into who knows what the #49 sat 42nd in the point standings.

From a pure business outlook I understand what Microsoft is doing, from a fans perspective I think its a bit two-faced after promising to support Bam then apparently switching allegiances to MWR.

I also find it more than a little ironic a division of Microsoft formed to support “small business” put the screws to the the much smaller Bam Racing to align themselves with MWR.

On the other hand Microsoft hasn’t been known as the most ethical business enterprise on the planet.

Technorati Tags: Michael Waltrip Racing, Michael Waltrip, Michael McDowell, Dover International Speedway, Bam Racing, Full Throttle