Miss Sprint Cup was an important part of the NASCAR Cup Series program between 2007 and 2016. She appeared in the victory lane, interviewed drivers after races, and wore a fire suit with the Sprint logo on it. The title was created as part of a unique effort by Sprint, the then-title sponsor of the series. Here’s a brief overview of the story and its eventual end.
Advertisement
The entire ordeal began in 1971 when the title of Miss Winston was announced to provide marketing support for the title sponsor, Winston. In 2007, the program was restarted as Sprint Speed Ambassadors and then renamed to Miss Sprint Cup. So, what was the role of the women who held the title? For the most part, they had to stand in victory lane and smile for the photos.
She would also greet fans, interact with them on social media, and do the occasional interview. Several women have been a part of this program over the years. The most famous among them were Kim Coon and Jaclyn Roney. Coon once spoke to NASCAR about the favorite part of her job. She said, “My favorite part is probably meeting all the fans from all over the world.”
“When you go to the (Atlanta) race you think it’s just going to be people from Alabama, Georgia, or somewhere from the region. When we’re out at the Sprint Unlimited Fan Experience, we meet people from Japan, Australia, or Germany who want to see their favorite driver.” She’d continued to mention her view that NASCAR fans were far more passionate than fans in other sports.
Miss Sprint Cup ended in 2016 with the withdrawal of Sprint as the title sponsor. Juliana White and Madison Martin held the position at the time. The social media pages of the title had over a hundred thousand followers and this presented the sponsor with a new problem. They decided to not close the accounts and let them stay on the internet until the media companies allowed it.
The profiles still read, “Miss Sprint Cup brought you behind the scenes of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from 2007–2016.” Miss Sprint Cup served as a friend of the fans who knew what was happening “inside” the sport. The fandom loved her for that. As far as brand ambassadors go, there aren’t a lot of such initiatives in the world of motorsports.
