Odd Driver/Sponsor Combinations

ToyYoda

ToyYoda

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Random question of the weekend: Have you ever seen a driver with a sponsor that just doesn't seem like a good fit? There have been several over the years that I can think of. Some examples:

Joey Logano and Home Depot (2009-2012): When you think of a do-it-yourself man's man that would likely frequent the Home Depot, a scrawny 18-year old kid isn't what you would typically think of. But that was the position that Home Depot was in when Tony Stewart bailed JGR at the end of the 2008 season and was replaced by an almost pre-pubescent looking rookie from Connecticut. The HD commercials with Logano never did look quite right.

Mark Martin and GoDaddy.com (2010-2011): For anybody familiar with GoDaddy.com (and who isn't), you probably know the company tends to go for a racy, sexy image; as evidenced by the beautiful, often scantily clad women in their commercials. So it seemed rather odd for the 2010 season that GoDaddy chose 50-something driver Mark Martin to represent their brand. Danica is a much better fit, needless to say.

Kasey Kahne and Budweiser (2008-2010): When Dale Jr. and DEI parted ways at the end of the 2007 season, Budweiser jumped ship as well and chose to go with the baby-faced Kasey Kahne to represent their brand. Sure, Kahne was 27 at that time, but he still didn't look old enough to drink. Kevin Harvick is a much better match for Budweiser, IMO.

Rusty Wallace and Kodiak (1987-1989): This was a very formidable partnership, with Rusty winning a Championship for Kodiak in 1989, but Rusty just never looked to me like the kind of guy that would walk around with a big chaw of Kodiak in his lower lip.

Jimmy Spencer and Target (2002): In 2002, Mr. Excitement switched department stores, jumping from Travis Carter's K-Mart Fords to Chip Ganassi's Target Dodges. In the retail world, Target tries to promote themselves as a refined, upscale alternative to the Wal-Marts and K-Marts of the world. Not a knock on the guy, but I don't think of refined and upscale when I think of Jimmy Spencer. The most memorable thing about this partnership were Spencer's scuffles with Kurt Busch.

Rick Mast and Hooters (1996): In 1996 after finally giving up on the Loy Allen expirement, Hooters chose to go with Rick Mast for the 1996 season. This just always seemed like an odd fit to me, and I must not have been alone in that sentiment since this turned out to be just a one year deal. Mast looked much more at home in the Remington car the next year.

Just a few I can think of, but I'm sure there are many others.
 
Anyone in a Fifth Third Bank car.

Tony Stewart and Subway.

Dale Jr and the National Guard.
 
I've got a couple:

Mars/Kyle Busch (2008-Present)
Mars is a company that sells candy and sugery gum, both things that are sweet. Kyle Busch is many things, but sweet isnt one of them (well, most of the time). I've heard the partnership is working quite well, though.

Kellogs/Kyle Busch (2005-2007)
See above

Burger King/Tony Stewart (2009-2011)
I've heard that Stewart loves BK, which doesnt suprise me, as he looks the part. Which makes it such a odd match -- fast food joints are always trying to make it seem like fast food doesnt make you fat, but Stewart is pretty much evidence otherwise.

Motorcraft-Air Force/Trevor Bayne (2011-Present)
There are certain types of people that seem like they would serve in the military. Bayne aint one, and screams it. I mean, he looks like he's 12. A very tall 12 year old, but still...
 
Of those you guys have mentioned, I think Mark Martin/GoDaddy is probably the oddest combination. Then again, they are starting to branch out a bit and use people other than half-naked models in their ads, as shocking as that may seem.

I thought the Jamie McMurray/Bass Pro Shops pairing was somewhat strange. He's also had the NRA sponsor him for a race or two, which seems even weirder. Obviously I don't know Jamie personally, but he just doesn't come across to me as a rugged, macho, gun-toting sportsman. Granted, I'm basing my probably (definitely?) ignorant assumptions off of merely seeing the dude on TV, so I'm sure he's the most avid outdoorsman in the whole garage area.
 
Loved the Mark Martin / Cummins Deisel combo , hated the Mark Martin / Viagra combo
 
Well, at least Martin/Viagra made some kind of sense...ha ha. Much more than GoDaddy.
 
I always thought jmac and bass pro was and odd pairing, as if that guy ever hunted before.
 
getting Danica in the 7 car and then bringing Hooters back to the sport as her sponsor would provide for an odd combination . . .

kulwicki_hooters.jpg



(apologies to the late, great Alan Kulwicki)
 
Jeffrey00 said:
Jr for going to HMS. Rumor has it the HMS couldn't take on the Bud sponsor again because of a deal they had with another sponsor? Possibly pepsi?
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Coulda also been because Budweiser had been with HMS previously, in the late 90's with Schrader, Craven, and Dallenbach. They then left to, ironically, sponsor Dale Jr. Not sure what kind of terms the Bud-HMS partnership ended on, but those HMS days were not Budweiser's finest hour in NASCAR.
 
ToyYoda said:
Coulda also been because Budweiser had been with HMS previously, in the late 90's with Schrader, Craven, and Dallenbach. They then left to, ironically, sponsor Dale Jr. Not sure what kind of terms the Bud-HMS partnership ended on, but those HMS days were not Budweiser's finest hour in NASCAR.
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Didn't Darrell Waltrip have some good years with Budweiser on the car while racing for Hendrick? Or did somebody else own that car?
 
The Mark Martin/Viagra thing was always so interesting to me because Viagra was obviously sponsoring the car of an older, athletic gentleman and seemed to want to imply that Martin used Viagra, but Mark never said he needed/used it.

Unlike (football's) Jimmy Johnson. Shame on him.

 
FLRacingFan said:
Juan Pablo Montoya/Depend at Richmond this year. Tony Stewart would've been a better fit.
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I suppose that is what happens when you only have one sponser that likes you very much -- you have to be sponsered by a adult diaper company.
 
Spike said:
And McMurray's hometown is like 50 miles from the original(and largest) Bass Pro in the Missouri foothills.
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One of my buds had family in that area and went back to to visit them and I guess they all went to the big Bass Pro Shop down there and when he came back, he couldn't stop talking about it. Sounded like DisneyWorld for hunting and fishing types.
 
Yea the place is huge. Bass Pro and the dueling piano bar downtown are about all Springfield, MO has going for it.
 
Even though it's not really a sponsorship deal per se, I alwasy found it strange seeing Logano in the Gillette young guns deal. Hell, even a few year on, he still doesn't look old enough to shave.
 
from what I heard bass pro had to be leaned on to take j mac, lets be honest the guy is better off advertising shampoo or something other than sporting goods.

as to budweiser and junior yeah that is one that should not have been broken up. word was bud wasn't paying all that much to sponsor the car and hendrick wanted more. add to that there was probably some hurt feelings when they left.
 
hidesert cowboy said:
from what I heard bass pro had to be leaned on to take j mac, lets be honest the guy is better off advertising shampoo or something other than sporting goods.
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I call :bsflag:

The guy looks handsome so he can't be a outdoorsman?

If they were so disgruntled with Jamie Mac, why would they stay on his car as an associate sponsor and primary sponsor for 3 races for this year.

Handsome guys like Jamie and me ( :) ) just can't help that we were born with movie star good looks.
 
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