It was either a costly and failed experiment or a pricey branding exercise. But one thing is clear: The National Guard has dumped a fortune into car racing over the last few years.

Between 2011 and 2013, the Guard spent $88 million on NASCAR sponsorships and $38 million on Indy car. The Guard told USA Today the combined $126 million was a branding effort, which "helps create a fundamental awareness of the National Guard as a career option." The money let the Guard put its logo on race cars and set up recruiting booths, among other things.

But if the goal was to actually produce new recruits, the effort was a failure, the newspaper reported.