NASCAR chief marketing officer Steve Phelps has been talking sponsor consolidation for the past year, but that might change if NASCAR can expand into previously untapped areas.

The airline category has been a difficult sell for NASCAR, but officials have been in discussions with JetBlue Airways about a partnership. The New York-based low-cost carrier offers 500 flights per day and provides 36 channels of DirecTV programming on its flights. DirecTV has been NASCAR’s official satellite television provider since 2005.

Footwear is another category that remains unmined and could hold some potential, whether it’s Starter, which is owned by Nike and has a new shoe and apparel deal with Joe Gibbs Racing, or Puma, a brand that’s commonly seen in the garage area.

Expect NASCAR to also start pitching national real-estate companies, such as Century 21 and Re/Max, sources said.

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