CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The U.S. Army will not return to Stewart-Haas Racing next season, citing a reallocation of its marketing budget that does not include a presence in NASCAR.
SHR says it is pursuing a new sponsor to partner with the many companies that help fund the race team. The U.S. Army has been a longtime sponsor in NASCAR, and has been with Ryan Newman at SHR since 2009 when the team was formed.
The decision comes as Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Republican Rep. Jackson Kingston of Georgia are pushing an amendment that would prohibit military sponsorship of sports.
The bill has made it through the House Appropriations Committee.
McCollum lost a House vote a year ago to cut the approximate $80 million in sports sponsorship from the defense budget.