The Army has announced it is dropping its NASCAR sponsorship at the end of this season. That pleases one Georgia congressman.

John Myers, Director of the Army’s marketing, says while the relationship with NASCAR has been a good one, the average age of a NASCAR fan has gone above the 18 to 34 year old target the Army was trying to reach.

Myers says their budget for recruiting has also declined, so they had to reconsider their big ticket expenses.

“When one of them starts to trend in a direction that’s not really totally effective, especially in comparison to others, then we have to make some tough decisions.”

During 2012, the Army committed about $8.4 million to NASCAR sponsorship.

The Army will continue to sponsor the National Hot Rod Association.

Georgia Congressman Jack Kingston is co-sponsor of an amendment to bar military sports sponsorships.

“We’re not saying we don’t want you to be there. We’re just saying don’t write the major check unless you can show specifically that you’re getting a lot of recruits out of it.”

He says he's not dropping the amendment.

“Unfortunately, other branches of the service, most notably the National Guard, are continuing to do this so our amendment will go forward despite the Army dropping the program.”

NASCAR says it continues to be a powerful and critical part of the marketing mix for other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Tags: Army, NASCAR, sponsorship, Congressman Jack Kingston