The Adolph Coors Company was formerly a holding company in Golden, Colorado controlled by the heirs of founder Adolph Coors. Its principal subsidiary was the Coors Brewing Company. The brewery was founded in 1873. In 2005, Adolph Coors Co. merged with Molson, Inc. to become the Molson Coors Brewing Company. Business names Schueler & Coors, Golden Brewery (1873–1880) Adolph Coors, Golden Brewery (1880–1913) Adolph Coors Co., Golden Brewery (1909–1913) Adolph Coors Brewing and Malting Company, Golden Brewery (1913–1915) Adolph Coors Company (1933–2005) Chairmen Adolph Coors Adolph Coors III Joseph Coors Douglas Roy Coors William Coors Pete Coors, 2002–2004 Sponsorship history Coors was the main sponsor for the Coors Cycling Team (late 1980s to mid-1990s) and the sponsor for US cycling event the Coors Classic, which ran from 1980 to 1988. Coors sponsored Premiership side Chelsea from 1994 to 1997. The last competitive game that the club wore shirts bearing Coors as sponsors was the 1997 FA Cup Final in which they beat Middlesbrough 2–0 to end their 26-year wait for a major trophy. Coors became the official beer sponsor of NASCAR in 2008, following the departure of Anheuser-Busch.That company returned as an official partner in 2018. Coors was also a partner of the NFL until Bud Light replaced it in 2011. In addition to its official NASCAR sponsorship, Coors Light has regularly sponsored cars in the series. They sponsored Melling Racing, Team SABCO, and most recently Chip Ganassi Racing. Drivers to have Coors backing have included Bill Elliott, who won the Winston Million in 1985 and the 1988 Winston Cup Championship, Robby Gordon, Sterling Marlin, Kyle Petty, David Stremme and Regan Smith. From 2008 to 2017, Coors was the title sponsor of the pole award in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. Coors stopped sponsoring a stock car in 2008. Coors holds the naming rights to Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, home of the Colorado Rockies baseball team. Political influence According to Russ Bellant Coors family members have played a prominent role in American politics and public policy, supporting many conservative causes. Such causes included providing a $250,000 grant in 1973 to found The Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank, and, via its parent company, the right-leaning think tank American Enterprise Institute. Joseph Coors was also known to have supported the Contras’ effort in Nicaragua during Reagan's presidency. Chairman Pete Coors ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate