AT&T gets go-ahead for NASCAR rebranding

A Georgia judge has given AT&T Inc. permission to add its brand on the carrier’s No. 31 NASCAR racecar, which currently carries the “Cingular” brand.
“We are pleased that the court has allowed us to proceed with rebranding the No. 31 car,” said John Burbank, AT&T’s VP of marketing. “We look forward to the debut of the new paint scheme and to directing our focus back to the action on the track and to Jeff Burton’s fantastic start to the 2007 season.”
AT&T said Judge Marvin Shoob of the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Georgia granted AT&T’s motion for preliminary injunction in its suit against NASCAR, giving AT&T the immediate right to put its logo on the No. 31 race car.
The odd issue boiled up in March when AT&T sued National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc. after the racing organization refused to let AT&T add its blue globe logo to the car. In its lawsuit, AT&T placed the blame on rival Sprint Nextel Corp., which is a major sponsor of the NASCAR “Cup Series.”
AT&T, which acquired the remaining 40% ownership of Cingular Wireless L.L.C. in its acquisition of BellSouth Corp. late last year, has a sponsorship agreement with Richard Childress Racing that runs from 2005 through 2007, with an exclusive right to negotiate a renewal beyond 2007, the carrier’s suit said. Richard Childress Racing owns the No. 31 car, which is driven by Jeff Burton.