Piers Morgan railed against the NRA's announcement that it would sponsor a NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Texas, challenging a Texas State Senator on his show Monday as to why it was appropriate in light of the December elementary-school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

The NRA said Monday that it had reached a deal to sponsor a race that will now be known as the NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

The partnership comes at a time when the NRA has been thrust into the political spotlight after the Newtown massacre — and less than a month after NASCAR partnered with Swan Racing to paint a Sandy Hook School Support Fund decal a car driven by Michael Waltrip.

Morgan couldn't understand why tobacco companies are barred from sponsoring NASCAR races but not organizations like the NRA.

"I'm slightly baffled why you can't have a tobacco company sponsoring this race because, presumably, it's bad for Americans' health — but you can have the NRA, which is basically funded by gun manufacturers," Morgan told Texas State Sen. Dan Patrick.

"I don't understand the fuss," Patrick said in response. "Tell me what your problem is. I don't get it. ... The NRA is not trying to sell guns. This is really a statement about who we are."