Hudson Statement on Political Pressure Ending National Guard Partnership with NASCAR

Statement

Today, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) reacted to the political pressure that led to the announcement by the Army National Guard that it will end its very successful sponsorship program and sports marketing with professional motorsports, including its National Guard-sponsored teams in both NASCAR and the Indy Racing League, in FY15.

"I am deeply disappointed that extreme political pressure from the Administration and Senate Democrats led to an irresponsible decision to end the Army National Guard's partnership with our motorsports industry. The success of the National Guard using professional motorsports to recruit young men and women has been proven and well-documented.

"In May of this year Senate Democrats held a hearing and asked for a review of the program. Unfortunately, instead of actually looking for the facts, this was a clear effort to put pressure on the National Guard to end this valuable program. If we're going to spend money on recruiting, then we should stop playing politics and spend it wisely by investing in the best resources available."

Background

· Since 2007 when the Department of Defense first began their use of professional sports sponsorships for recruiting purposes, they have added more than 400,000 new soldiers.

· According to the National Guard Association, ninety percent of the brave men and women who enlisted or re-enlisted in the Army National Guard from 2007 to 2013 said they were exposed to the Guard through recruiting or retention materials featuring NASCAR.

· The National Guard's sponsorship with NASCAR allows them to leverage the largest American spectator sport with a loyal fan base of over 75 million people.

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