Approximately two years into a 10-year partnership, ISM Connect and Phoenix Raceway mutually agreed to restructure their relationship, the track announced Friday afternoon.
Their initial relationship involved the naming rights of the track, which will now transition back to its former name of Phoenix Raceway, located in Avondale, Ariz.
Track officials announced in the fall of 2017 that the track would be rebranded as ISM Raceway beginning with the 2018 season. The partnership was supposed to last a decade.
Despite the name change, fan experiences at the track will not be affected by the restructuring. The 1.0-mile facility owned by NASCAR received a $178 million renovation that was completed by the fall race of the 2018 season.
The restoration also included technology from ISM Connect to enhance the fan experience on a variety of levels.
“Phoenix Raceway and ISM Connect have mutually agreed to restructure their relationship and will discontinue its naming rights partnership. We look forward to transitioning back to Phoenix Raceway, a brand that has built a strong affinity across the racing community since our opening in 1964,” the track said in its statement.
“The repositioning of Phoenix Raceway aligns with NASCAR’s integrated sponsorship strategy and supports ISM Connect’s efforts to shift their focus from brand awareness to delivering their next-generation technology at NASCAR facilities. We thank ISM Connect for their partnership as we look forward to a historic season for our track, culminating with the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.”
ISM Connect is one of several companies owned by NASCAR team owner Maury Gallagher who fields teams in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series for full-time drivers Tyler Ankrum, Sheldon Creed, Brett Moffitt and Zane Smith this season.
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