Wal-Mart in talks with NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports

dpkimmel2001

dpkimmel2001

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Could Wal-Mart be in Jeff Gordon's future? Interesting article @ Scenedaily.....

http://www.scenedaily.com/news/arti...n_talks_with_NASCAR_Hendrick_Motorsports.html

Walmart is in deep discussions with NASCAR team and league officials about a wide-ranging deal that has both sponsorship and licensing implications and could see the retail giant sponsor Hendrick Motorsports or another Sprint Cup team. Senior-level Walmart executives were guests of NASCAR at the May 22 Sprint All-Star Race in Charlotte and returned a week later to tour race shops and meet more team executives as the mass retailer explores potential partnerships. While several scenarios are being considered and the talks remain fluid, industry sources say that Walmart is discussing the potential of a direct license that would make it NASCAR's exclusive retailer in the mass merchandise space. A direct license would give Walmart the ability to select its suppliers and set prices for certain categories, such as hats and T-shirts. These negotiations are going on as NASCAR attempts to roll its team and league licensing rights into a trust, which would create a centralized licensing agency for the sport. Walmart is believed to be exploring sponsorship opportunities with Hendrick Motorsports as well. Hendrick's drivers  #48-Jimmie Johnson, #24-Jeff Gordon, #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #5-Mark Martin  account for close to 75% of all licensed sales in the sport, industry analysts say, making it a logical team for Walmart to sponsor. Hendrick has also signed popular driver Kasey Kahne, who will take over Martin's #5 Chevy in 2012. Walmart is thought to be considering a sponsorship arrangement with a team or multiple teams, with Hendrick Motorsports in the middle of those discussions. It's unclear, though, if the mass retailer will settle on one car for a chunk of the season, sponsor multiple cars for a few races each, or perhaps put together several driver deals into a marketing platform, a la the Gillette Young Guns or the Coca-Cola family of drivers. One scenario, according to sources, has Walmart sponsoring Gordon's #24 Chevy for half of the season or more, as primary sponsor DuPont looks to scale back its spending. DuPont's current primary sponsorship on the #24 car ends this season, and while the longtime sponsor is expected to remain in some form, it's uncertain whether DuPont will remain the primary. Other industry insiders say it's unlikely that Walmart would sponsor a single driver because the retailer will potentially have licensing arrangements across a variety of drivers.

Hendrick's drivers, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #24-Jeff Gordon, #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #5-Mark Martin, account for close to 75% of all licensed sales in the sport, industry analysts say, making it a logical team for Walmart to sponsor.

75% - That's insane.
 
Well Hendrick is involved so he'll get them. I see Wal-Mart to SHR for 2011 with Kasey and then to Hendrick in 2012 when he jumps into the #5. Then Martin comes to SHR part-time with GO Daddy part-time because by then Danica wil be here with full-time sponserhip from Go Daddy
 
I could see this causing some problems for Wal-Mart if they decide to sponsor a specific team. Not trying to stereotype, but it seems to me that many serious NASCAR fans are also pretty faithful Wal-Mart fans. I can see many of those people getting pretty upset if WM sponsors somebody they really dislike.

I can see this being a good thing for them, and really a pretty natural fit, if they do it right however. I like the idea of a "Coca-Cola family of drivers" kind of a thing. Sponsoring several drivers seems like a good idea.

What I don't like about this, is the idea that Wal-Mart will likely cause another group of businesses to go out of business if they get exclusive marketing rights. Small business owners who run racing apparel shops will be kicked to the curb as many other small business owners in other industries have been by companies like Wal-Mart moving into their markets.
 
forget cars become the official tow truck sponser of nascar make them all Wal-Mart rollbacks:D
 
Benevolent One said:
What I don't like about this, is the idea that Wal-Mart will likely cause another group of businesses to go out of business if they get exclusive marketing rights. Small business owners who run racing apparel shops will be kicked to the curb as many other small business owners in other industries have been by companies like Wal-Mart moving into their markets.
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This is more than just a sponsorship deal, this smells like Wal Mart wanting the rights to Jr.s, Gordons, and JJs name or likeness, 3 very big names in nascar history, in a sneaky sideways move. I don't see nascar letting wal mart get away with exclusive anything unless nascar gets a large chunk of it. They will do everything they can to get exclusive maketing rights and thats the Wal-Mart way. F Wal Mart, everything they touch kills the small businessman and dilutes the quality of the product. There is a place in hell for walfart execs when they die.
 
chromehorn said:
This is more than just a sponsorship deal, this smells like Wal Mart wanting the rights to Jr.s, Gordons, and JJs name or likeness, 3 very big names in nascar history, in a sneaky sideways move. I don't see nascar letting wal mart get away with exclusive anything unless nascar gets a large chunk of it. They will do everything they can to get exclusive maketing rights and thats the Wal-Mart way. F Wal Mart, everything they touch kills the small businessman and dilutes the quality of the product. There is a place in hell for walfart execs when they die.
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Thats why i avoid walmart when i can. I cant stand them.
 
Walmart Will Not be Sponsoring Jeff Gordon

Walmart has issued a statement that they will not be sponsoring Jeff Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports team.

NASCAR has been the subject of several published reports that the world’s largest retailer was in negotiations with Hendrick Motorsports to sponsor the No. 24 car for next season.

The possible addition of Walmart to the line-up of car sponsors would have been big news for NASCAR, which has had few sponsorship dollars added to the Cup series in the last two years.

==========>Full Article Here<==========
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Walmart has issued a statement that they will not be sponsoring Jeff Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports team.
Click to expand...

Wow!

Poor Jeff doesn't get to shoot commercials about how he does all his shopping at Wal-Mart. :D
 
So Dupont is still in.
 

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I still believe that Pepsi will be the #24 primary sponsor in 2011. It just makes sense. They are a long time sponsor and certainly are not "strap for cash" :D
 
Latest on Walmart sponsor Jeff Gordon: Walmart's potential move into NASCAR has led the retail giant deep into negotiations with Hendrick Motorsports over sponsorship of Jeff Gordon's #24 Chevy next season. There continue to be several moving parts to the Walmart discussions with Hendrick and NASCAR, which began in the spring and have progressed through the summer. Walmart's play could have tentacles in both sponsorship and licensing at the team and league level, according to industry sources. The retailer has been hesitant to spend money on sports sponsorships in the past, so Walmart's entrance to NASCAR would provide a huge boost to a sport that has been ravaged by the recession and attracted little new sponsorship money in the last two seasons. "It's very significant," said Mark Dyer, senior vice president at IMG and formerly chief of the licensing division at NASCAR until 2007. "We tried for years to get Walmart's attention when I was at NASCAR and we made some inroads. If they truly decide to take a position in the sport, that's a big deal to get a company that should have been in that space all along."
Gordon remains one of the sport's most popular drivers and is a likely future hall of famer. DuPont has been his only primary sponsor since he became a full-time driver in 1992, but the most recent deal between DuPont and Hendrick Motorsports ends this year. While DuPont might be back on the #24, it is expected to be in a reduced role. Pepsi and National Guard also have associate sponsorships on Gordon's car this year. Gordon, 39, has said that he plans to drive for four or five more years and that he's over the back injury that at one time was considered a threat to his career. If Walmart completes an agreement for the #24 Chevy, it remains to be seen whether the retailer will keep its marks on the car or sell off races to vendors.(in part from SportsBusiness Journal/Sporting News)(8-24-2010)
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I just can't see Na$car allowing a retailer to sell merchandise at a discount rate hurting their nascar store sales and you know Wally would do that.
 
SST55 said:
Latest on Walmart sponsor Jeff Gordon: Walmart's potential move into NASCAR has led the retail giant deep into negotiations with Hendrick Motorsports over sponsorship of Jeff Gordon's #24 Chevy next season. There continue to be several moving parts to the Walmart discussions with Hendrick and NASCAR, which began in the spring and have progressed through the summer. Walmart's play could have tentacles in both sponsorship and licensing at the team and league level, according to industry sources. The retailer has been hesitant to spend money on sports sponsorships in the past, so Walmart's entrance to NASCAR would provide a huge boost to a sport that has been ravaged by the recession and attracted little new sponsorship money in the last two seasons. "It's very significant," said Mark Dyer, senior vice president at IMG and formerly chief of the licensing division at NASCAR until 2007. "We tried for years to get Walmart's attention when I was at NASCAR and we made some inroads. If they truly decide to take a position in the sport, that's a big deal to get a company that should have been in that space all along."
Gordon remains one of the sport's most popular drivers and is a likely future hall of famer. DuPont has been his only primary sponsor since he became a full-time driver in 1992, but the most recent deal between DuPont and Hendrick Motorsports ends this year. While DuPont might be back on the #24, it is expected to be in a reduced role. Pepsi and National Guard also have associate sponsorships on Gordon's car this year. Gordon, 39, has said that he plans to drive for four or five more years and that he's over the back injury that at one time was considered a threat to his career. If Walmart completes an agreement for the #24 Chevy, it remains to be seen whether the retailer will keep its marks on the car or sell off races to vendors.(in part from SportsBusiness Journal/Sporting News)(8-24-2010)
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I just can't see Na$car allowing a retailer to sell merchandise at a discount rate hurting their nascar store sales and you know Wally would do that.
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but because it says NASCAR on it doesn't mean it's going to sell.

NASCAR office tower lenders could take a $40 million loss: The owners of the NASCAR Plaza office tower have defaulted on a $95 million loan, according to a lawsuit filed by Regions Bank, which is urging fellow project lender Wells Fargo & Co. to do whatever it takes to collect, including foreclosure. The uncertain future of the 19-story, 390,000-square-foot office development is perhaps the largest example yet of growing stress in Charlotte's commercial real estate market. Earlier this summer, Regions initiated foreclosure proceedings against the 302,000-square-foot EpiCentre complex uptown, prompting the property's owners to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. NASCAR Plaza is one of four office towers added to the Charlotte skyline in just over a year. It was developed by Indianapolis-based Lauth Group Inc. and opened in May 2009, next to the new NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Regions filed suit against Wells Fargo late last month in federal court in Indiana. Wells and Regions made the $95 million loan in 2007 to Corporate Plaza Partners, which owns the property and is an affiliate of Lauth. Regions agreed to fund half of the loan, and Wells Fargo was designated as agent for both lenders and assumed the responsibility of administering the loan.
An affiliate of Indiana-based Lauth Property Group Inc., Corporate Plaza Partners LLC, developed the 19-story tower next to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Roughly two-thirds of the building's 390,000 square feet is available for lease. NASCAR is the largest tenant with 118,000 square feet, followed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which has taken around 16,000 square feet. The office tower has struggled to attract tenants. Some companies may not want or need to be associated with NASCAR, said real estate analyst Andrew Jenkins of Karnes Research. "The banks and the like who own towers find it easier to attract tenants who want to do business with them," he said. "NASCAR doesn't have clientele who need to be in a building like that."(in part from both Charlotte Business Journal / WCNC)(8-28-2010)
 
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