Sponsor News for Truex Jr and Stewart: Some Good, Some Bad

There was some mixed sponsor news this week... some good news came out earlier in the week and some not so good sponsor news came out this weekend.

Martin Truex Jr. Renews with Michael Waltrip Racing

First up, Martin Truex Jr., along with NAPA, reupped with Michael Waltrip Racing.  For Truex and/or MWR fans, that's great news.

I had a chance to chat up Michael Waltrip a few weeks back at Sonoma.  We were just sitting around on pit road and I was taking pics of him and he gave me a funny look and said "Whatch'yoo doin?"  He was in jest of course and I asked him how it felt to have his cars at the front of the qualifying pack and he said that it was less stressful to have the cars up there.  It was a nice change of pace and that he could get used to it.

I presume he's still getting used to it as his teams keeps showing up in the front of the pack more and more.

Truex Jr.'s contract renewal is for a three year contract extension.

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Tony Stewart Loses Office Depot

That was the good news.  The bad news is that Tony Stewart's team is losing Office Depot as their primary co-sponsor.  Though Office Depot is backing out of their co-primary position, it's said that the two organizations are exploring other possible associations between them.

Stewart-Haas Racing had this to say on their Facebook page:

"A quick note to all of our fans regarding Office Depot…

When we formed Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of 2008, Office Depot was the first partner to join our team. We became immersed in their business, and they became equally engaged in our business. Strong B2B relationships were fostered off the track, and on the track our partnership culminated with the 2011 Sprint Cup championship.

We remain proud of all that we accomplished together, and are committed to seeing this relationship through by defending the championship we won together and by continuing to act on Office Depot's behalf in the representation of small businesses everywhere."

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Does this say something about the financial environment when the defending champion can't even hang on to a sponsor, or do you think this is just a move on Office Depot's part that signals they may be having troubles we don't know about?

-B