Sprint to end NASCAR sponsorship deal after 2016
Sprint will end its tenure as title sponsor of NASCAR's top tier when the current agreement expires in 2016
The company has been associated with the Cup series since merging with Nextel, which replaced former sponsor Winston in 2004.
The decision follows the sale of the company earlier this year and subsequent change in management.
"We are proud of our association with NASCAR's top series but have made the decision not to extend our sponsorship beyond the next two years," Sprint vice president of marketing Steve Gaffney said.
"Sprint has long benefitted from the unprecedented level of brand integration available in NASCAR, and the passionate fan base that is the most loyal in sports.
"Without question, the NASCAR sponsorship property has been a valuable investment for us and will be for our successor."
NASCAR said in a statement that it understands the telecommunications company's decision.
"NASCAR and Sprint have enjoyed a long and productive partnership that has returned significant value to both parties," said Brett Jewkes, NASCAR senior vice president and chief communications officer.
"We understand significant changes within Sprint and the highly competitive business environment it is in has led to a decision not to extend its Cup Series entitlement position following the 2016 season.
"The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is a very unique, premium sports marketing platform with strong momentum, so we are very confident of moving forward in 2017 with an outstanding new partner.
"In the meantime, we look forward to Sprint's partnership on the best racing series in the world for the next two seasons."
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