The sanctioning body of NASCAR is switching channels, so to speak, next year on the second-tier circuit of its top three series.
An announcement was made Monday morning that the now-called NASCAR Xfinity Series will become the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS?) starting in 2026. It is a multi-year deal, with no financial numbers disclosed.
It was believed NASCAR was seeking between $10 to $15 million per year.
O’Reilly Steps it Up for NASCAR deal
O’Reilly has been part of the NASCAR landscape via event sponsorship and at-track advertising for several years. Now, their name will be typed and spoken by drivers, media and fans on a constant basis.
“Our company is rooted in the same values that define NASCAR — teamwork, enthusiasm and dedication,” said Brent Kirby, President O’Reilly Auto Parts. “You’ll see those in action when our customers walk through our doors.
“We know they need fast service, and Team O’Reilly will get them the parts they need quickly, with excellent customer service. We welcome all fans to stop by our stores and see how our team can help keep them running.”
The hope for O’Reilly, with headquarters in Springfield, MO, is its 31 distribution centers will become even more busy with this exposure. The timing of this deal bodes well for them with NXS enjoying increased ratings after The CW Network became its sole broadcast partner full time this year.
“The success of NASCAR on The CW has shown that millions of fans will consistently tune in for these adrenaline-fueled races every week,” said Brad Schwartz, President of The CW Network. “This exciting new partnership with O’Reilly Auto Parts gives us the opportunity to expand that reach even further by tapping into our mutually strong presence in local communities nationwide and continuing to grow our passionate audience in the years to come.”
Per the official announcement release, NXS “is seeing year-over-year viewership growth, currently up +17% in total viewers compared to last season and pacing to be the most watched series since 2018. The series is currently averaging 1.1 million total viewers, with 19 out of 23 races drawing over one million total viewers.”
Those figures and potential for even more numbers were attractive to O’Reilly in solidifying a higher profile in the sport.
“Partnering with NASCAR and The CW at this level enables us to further deepen our connection to one of the most loyal fanbases in all of sports,” said Hugo Sanchez, O’Reilly Auto Parts vice president of advertising and marketing. “This agreement builds on our long-term involvement in NASCAR and our dedication to the fans who love cars as much as we do.”
A New Series Name isn’t New
With this announcement, O’Reilly becomes the fourth title sponsor of the NASCAR Series.
The first was with Anheuser Busch for 25 years from 1982 to 2007 under names such as the Budweiser Late Model Series in 1982 and ’83, then the Busch Grand National Series from 1984 to 2002 to the Busch Series from 2003 to 2007.
When that deal was done, Nationwide Insurance stepped in for seven years from 2008 to 2014 before Comcast Xfinity started its 11-year run of title sponsorship in 2015.
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