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SPORTS Friday 16 March 2018
Lowe's to end sponsorship of 7-time NASCAR champion Johnson

By JENNA FRYER it, for Lowe's, taking that
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — chance on Johnson, was
Lowe's, one of the last re- like "winning the lottery."
maining corporate giants Times have changed.
in NASCAR, announced Sponsor after sponsor has
Wednesday that it will not scaled back on full pack-
sponsor seven-time cham- age commitments, and
pion Jimmie Johnson after teams now sell open inven-
this season, an ominous tory on their cars in pieces.
sign for the nation's top rac- A full season sponsor is now
ing series. almost unheard of in any
For Johnson and Hendrick racing series and one by
Motorsports, it means the one the Fortune 500 back-
best NASCAR driver of his ers have altered their mar-
generation has a blank keting spends. Target is
slate of "inventory" for the out of racing. So is Home
first time in nearly two de- Depot and Sprint. UPS, Sub-
cades. way, Great Clips and Dollar
"Jimmie is one of the great- General. Aaron's and Best
est champions and ambas- Buy are gone, too. GoDad-
sadors in all of sports and dy was gone but came
still at the top of his game," back only this season for a
team owner Rick Hendrick two-race farewell tour with
said. "This change opens up Danica Patrick.
all kinds of possibilities, and It's a different world, and
we look forward to hav- only a handful of compa-
ing conversations with po- nies come anywhere close
tential new partners. It's a to the commitment Lowe's
special opportunity with an has had with Johnson, in-
iconic athlete and team." cluding every race last
For Lowe's, the decision is year. Denny Hamlin had
simply business. FedEx on 34 of 36 races last
The home improvement year. A Mars Inc. product
company teamed with was aboard Kyle Busch's
Hendrick and Johnson in car for 30 points races and Jimmie Johnson, right, drives during a NASCAR Cup series auto race Sunday, March 4, 2018, in
2001 when the driver was a his other six went to Inter- Las Vegas. Associated Press
nobody. Owner and com- state Batteries.
pany took a leap on John- But those deals are dino- through 2020. "I'll always be the track." Lowe's probably Lowe's chief customer offi-
son, the driver Jeff Gordon saurs left over from the grateful to Lowe's for tak- stayed in the sport longer cer Michael P. McDermott
promised them was going financial upswing, and ing a chance on me and than expected because said only that the company
to be a star. Gordon was aside from FedEx and the believing that I could win," rival Home Depot left NAS- was "evolving" its strategy.
right and Johnson was so M&M's line, nearly all the Johnson said. "I'm not sure CAR after the 2014 season. "The No. 48 team is a valu-
good that Lowe's couldn't megadeals from the early where I'd be right now if Menards is still in NASCAR, able property and has
leave. 2000s have either left mo- they hadn't committed to and while the Lowe's fund- been an integral part of
Lowe's signed on in the torsports or gone the way the No. 48 team. It's hard ing helped Johnson and building the Lowe's brand,
heady days of NASCAR of Miller Lite, which gradu- to see them move on, but Hendrick Motorsports find which makes today's deci-
when sponsors paid $20 ally reduced its hold on its we've made history to- success, there is not much sion difficult as we now look
million or more just to get in Brad Keselowski inventory. gether and celebrated so of a rivalry in the marketing to invest in other strategic
the door with a top team. By scaling back, Miller Lite much success on and off space. initiatives," he said.q
A deal for an entire 36 race decreased its spend, re-
package, plus the two all- tained its association with
Keselowski and gave Team
star events, could cost up- Penske empty pages to sell. A.J. Foyt briefly hospitalized
ward of $30 million per sea- Now Hendrick Motorsports
Johnson when Hendrick open market and they can after attack of killer bees
son.
Lowe's wasn't sure about will put Johnson's car on the

sold them on a full deal; the sell the inventory in pieces
company hedged its bet for the first time. HOUSTON (AP) — Four-time statement that Foyt was re- grand marshal for Satur-
with a smaller deal for four- It's a pretty valuable as- Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. leased from a Texas hospi- day's race.
time champion Gordon just set, too. Along with crew Foyt was briefly hospitalized tal once he was stabilized. Said Foyt: "I look like I had
in case Johnson was a bust. chief Chad Knaus, the No. after an attack of African- The team said this second a fight with Mike Tyson and
But even if Lowe's got in on 48 Chevrolet team is one ized killer bees he encoun- bee attack was more seri- lost. Right now I'm on so
the cheap with Johnson in of the best in stock car his- tered while working on his ous than the first because much medication that I'm
2001, the price undoubt- tory. Their seven champion- ranch. the first encounter made not feeling that great, so
edly went up as Johnson ships equal those of Hall of Wednesday's attack Foyt more sensitive to bee I'll take the doctors' advice
racked up his record-tying Famers Richard Petty and was the second time the stings. to rest for the next couple
seven championships, 83 Dale Earnhardt, and in 2009 83-year-old has disturbed Foyt will miss this weekend's days." Foyt also pulled out
victories and a Hall of Fame Johnson was the first driver beehives while working on Twelve Hours of Sebring. of grand marshal duties for
career all while represent- named Associated Press his bulldozer. He sustained He was scheduled to be the 50th anniversary of the
ing the Lowe's brand the Male Athlete of the Year. over 200 stings to his head inducted into Sebring's Hall Rolex 24 in 2012 because
last 18 years. Johnson is 42 and signed alone in a 2005 bee attack. of Fame on Friday night he was battling a staph
As one executive once put with Hendrick Motorsports A.J. Foyt Racing said in a and was the scheduled infection.q