KOOL owners quit racing sponsorship.

After an extensive evaluation of its participation in motorsport, the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation [B&W] has announced that it will end its sponsorship programme at the end of the current racing season.

The Louisville, Kentucky-based company's involvement with motorsport began by promoting the KOOL brand through its partnership with Team Green in the Indy Lights series in 1996. The nation's third largest manufacturer and marketer of cigarettes, B&W also sponsored a driver-development programme and was a co-title sponsor of the Toyota Atlantic Championship Series. KOOL and Team Green entered the CART FedEx Championship in 1997.

"The decision to end our motorsport sponsorship program was a very difficult one to make," admitted Ludo Cremers, B&W's divisional vice-president, "Our Team KOOL Green sponsorship programme has played a key role in the revitalisation of the KOOL brand in the United States. However, the brand has evolved, and the fit with motor racing has become less and less optimal, making it increasingly difficult to achieve an acceptable business return on our motorsport investment.

"As hard as it was to make this decision, we know it is in the best interests of our current and future business needs."

B&W invested more than $120 million in the programme since 1996, but is understood to be concerned that it cannot match that of rival brand Marlboro, which it will be in direct on-track competition with in 2003 as Team Green - soon to become Andretti-Green - takes to the IRL.

"The partnership has been a great one and it has yielded benefits for all involved," said Bert Kremer, former director of sponsorship for B&W who currently serves as a sponsorship consultant to the company and has been involved in the programme since its inception.

"B&W is proud to have been associated with Team Green, Honda, CART, USDC, Klein Tools, the other co-sponsors and all of our suppliers. We're especially grateful for having had the opportunity to be a partner with owner Barry Green and his organisation. The team he put together, including drivers Paul Tracy and Dario Franchitti, has given 110 per cent in making Team KOOL Green a top organisation in open wheel racing. We are confident that the trend will continue with the newly-formed Andretti Green Racing and we wish all of them well in the future."

Team owner Barry Green and drivers Tracy and Franchitti expressed their appreciation for the partnership with B&W, but also their disappointment at the decision to quit its racing programme.

"Our association has ensured that Team Green is a first-class operation," Green admitted, "and we are extremely grateful for all the company has done for us and for motorsports in general. During our time together we have won 16 races, including five 1-2 finishes, and earned eleven poles. I am well aware of how hard this decision is for them and I appreciate the time and consideration they have given us throughout the process."

"Brown & Williamson has given me everything I could ask as a driver, especially a supportive environment," added Tracy, "I am very proud of my association with them."

"These are the people who gave me the opportunity to win races, contend for the CART championship and have some fun doing it," said Franchitti, "I will miss working with them."