The Spongebob Squarepants 400. Yes, the Spongebob Squarepants 400. That’s now the name of an actual race. Yes, May 9th, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway will in fact be known now as the Spongebob Squarepants 400.
Move over MicronPc.com Bowl, Poulan Weed Eater Independence Bowl, Carquest Bowl, Blockbuster Bowl, well, you get the idea.
“I’m excited to partner with Nickelodeon for the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 on May 9,” said a statement attributed to Patrick Warren, Kansas Speedway President.
“This is a great opportunity for us to engage SpongeBob fans of all ages to racing with a great partner,” continued the press release.
So at this point NASCAR is pretty much like minor league baseball, the AHL, MLS (even though Major League soccer doesn’t realize it but should) and all the other minor leagues in that they need to rely on gimmicks to market the product and grab publicity. Well, you gotta love the self-awareness.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital, eBay, Google News and CBS Interactive. You can read Banks’ feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye newspaper and listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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