Quote Originally Posted by HURRICANEBOB View Post
A member of Congress wants to end the military's sponsorship of NASCAR race teams, saying it's a waste of taxpayers' money.

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minnesota, is offering an amendment to the 2011 House budget bill to ban the sponsorships, which her office said has cost the military $100 million over the past 10 years, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

The National Guard sponsors Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team, the Army sponsors Ryan Newman, and the Air Force sponsors AJ Allmendinger, according to HamptonRoads.com.

"I would challenge the Pentagon to give me one example of someone today in Iraq or Afghanistan who saw the Go Army car going around the racetrack and that's why they joined the Army," Bill Harper, McCollum's chief of staff, told HamptonRoads.com. "It may be the reason why they go to Home Depot but not necessarily Afghanistan."

and

The Army spent $7 million on NASCAR endorsements in 2010, down from $11.6 million the year before, which McCollum’s chief of staff called “a complete waste of taxpayer money … Who is in Iraq or Afghanistan because they saw an Army car go around the track?" he asked.
The Army pays for the sponsorship of different entities from the funds allotted for recruitment. This is an advertising cost. The Army is seeking the best and the brightest individuals. They need advertising to attract young men and women into the Army. The sponsorship program of NASCAR teams has been immensly successful for recruitment.They can afford to get picky now that the wars are winding down and that they are drwing down the force. The advertising budget will soon be cut and the sponsorships will end. It's not easy to recruit people to suffer the hardships of military service and the NASCAR sponsorship did a great job of helpinhg recruiters meet their goals.