THE NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway in April will be sponsored by American non-profit organisation the National Rifle Association (NRA).
The NRA sponsored a Nationwide Series race last September at Atlanta, but the Texas 500 on April 13 in Fort Worth has now been renamed the NRA 500, and signals the organisation’s first foray into Nascar’s top series.
“The NRA 500 is the latest announcement in the long history of a growing partnership between the NRA, Speedway Motorsports and the Nascar community,” said NRA executive vice president and CEO Wayne LaPierre.
“NRA members and Nascar fans love their country and everything that is good and right about America. We salute our flag, volunteer in our churches and communities, cherish our families, and we love racing.”
The race will be shown live by Fox and is the first Saturday prime-time event of the Nascar Sprint Cup season.
Fox is contractually obliged to mention the track sponsor’s name once per hour on its Nascar Sprint Cup coverage, even though, like most US networks, it refuses to air advertisements from gun-makers.
By Robin Jellis