NATIONAL SERIES SPONSOR

• Latest on Sprint's replacement as series sponsor: Sprint's sponsorship of NASCAR's top national series ends after the 2016 season, which raises a simple question: Who's next? Negotiations are under way for a new title sponsor, and it appears likely an announcement will come in early fall. That's the word from NASCAR executive Steve Phelps. Speaking on a SiriusXM show, Phelps laid out in rather general terms how the talks were going. Some companies remain in the mix; Phelps pegged the number at eight to 10. Others have fallen out, mostly as bad fits for one reason or another. A month after his interview, Phelps had little to offer in new information. The vetting process goes on and NASCAR maintains its optimism. Happy-face time, however, is growing short. In all likelihood, NASCAR will announce the Cup series title change in September or October. That's when, Phelps noted, current agreements with Xfinity and Camping World were made for the second-level series and the trucks series, respectively. NASCAR's deal with Xfinity runs through 2024. Its Camping World agreement runs through 2022. Another key point raised by Phelps: There might be more than one sponsor. Don't be surprise to see a sponsor that is currently involved in NASCAR and one that is new to the sport. (Sporting News )(7-2-2016)