Kmart changes their tune, Bud Shootout, and the Daytona Speedweeks schedule.
Kmart Changes Their Tune ..........
I am not surprised by the latest news coming out of the Kmart headquarters at Troy, Michigan. They told Haas Carter Motorsports a couple of weeks ago that the future situation regarding their sponsorship of the No. 66 and No. 26 Fords would be "business as usual" for the 2002 season.
NOW, Kmart's director of marketing communications is saying that they are only committed for three upcoming races, the Bud Shootout on February 10th, the Daytona 500 on February 17th, and the North Carolina 400 at The Rock on February 24th. After that they are offering no forward looking statements.
As a result, it appears that you can add Haas Carter Motorsports to the list of owners in search of corporate sponsors for their race teams.
I wondered a couple of years ago, how a company like Kmart that was having their financial problems highlighted in the news media, could afford to spend the millions of dollars it takes to support two Winston Cup teams and sponsor NASCAR races. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that when the company goes into bankruptcy receivership, the courts are going to ask the same question. The courts will force the company to find less expensive means of advertising.
Jimmy Spencer saw the handwriting on the wall. He made up his mind last year that the ship was going down, and he needed to find a safer haven. He left the sponsorship of the number three retailer for the sponsorship of the number two retailer, Target. Spencer will be driving the No. 41 Target sponsored Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2002.
Joe Nemechek, on the other hand, has apparently jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. He was forced to leave Andy Petree Racing when their Oakwood Homes sponsorship pulled out last season. He took over Spencer's ride at Haas Carter Motorsports for the 2002 season, and now Front Row Joe may end up observing the racing competition from the front row in the grandstands.
Budweiser Shootout ...........
I always enjoy writing about the Bud Shootout. That means that it is about time for the season to finally begin. The Shootout is scheduled for next weekend, and the Daytona 500 is right around the corner, scheduled for the following weekend.
