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August Cup race at Michigan will have new sponsor with departure of Pure Michigan

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pure Michigan 400

BROOKLYN, MI - AUGUST 13: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 13, 2017 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

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A year after paying $725,000 for the naming rights, Pure Michigan will no longer sponsor the August Cup race at Michigan International Speedway, according to MLive.com

A Travel Michigan campaign and part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Pure Michigan began sponsoring the 400-mile race in 2011.

“We have enjoyed our partnership with the MEDC and the Pure Michigan Brand,” track president Rick Brenner said in a statement to NBC Sports. “We look forward to continuing to work together to promote NASCAR and the other events at MIS to promote tourism in the state.”

Sources close to the track anticipate an announcement about sponsorship for the August race in the next few weeks.

“We launched our sponsorship of the August race at a time when we were still primarily focused on growing awareness of the Pure Michigan brand,” Dave Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan, told MLive.com. “Today, opportunities to take a more targeted approach to marketing mean we can deliver interest-specific information to audiences that overlap with those attending the race at MIS through our digital campaign efforts.”

Lorenz said Pure Michigan will “continue to stay engaged” with MIS, including promoting racing and the Faster Horses Festival.

With the MEDC being a government body, MLive.com filed a Freedom of Information Act Request to find out how much the campaign paid in each year of its relationship.

Here are the totals:

2017: $725,000
2016: $700,000
2015: $675,000
2014: $675,000
2013: $625,000
2012: $575,000
2011: $335,000

FireKeepers Casino, the sponsor of the June race at the 2-mile track, recently extended its multiyear deal.
LTi Printing also increased its involvement with the speedway and NASCAR to become the entitlement sponsor of the Xfinity Series LTi Printing 250 after sponsoring the Camping World Truck Series race last year.

Corrigan Oil expanded its relationship with the speedway as the entitlement sponsorship of the Truck Series race in August with the Corrigan Oil 200.

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