Craftsman Ending Sponsorship Of NASCAR Truck Series

Sears' Craftsman brand "will be out as title sponsor of NASCAR's truck-racing series" in '09, according to Jim Pedley of the K.C. STAR.  NASCAR CMO Steve Phelps indicated that "no new title sponsor has been found to replace Craftsman, but a search will soon be getting under way." Craftsman has title sponsored the series since its inception in '95.  Craftsman's contract with NASCAR expires at the end of the '08 season.  Sears Manager Of Marketing Partnerships & Activation Scott Howard said Craftsman is "fully committed to the series until the end of next season." Howard indicated that Craftsman "does not plan to withdraw fully from NASCAR," as the company "will continue exploring efforts to maintain a presence in the series" (K.C. STAR, 12/4).  Craftsman's deal has been estimated to be worth $4M annually (THE DAILY).

VIEWERSHIP: The Craftsman Truck Series was seen by more viewers in '07 than in any other season since moving to SPEED in '03, averaging 686,000 viewers this season. The series also saw growth in younger demos, posting its best numbers among men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 (Speed).

YR	AVG. VIEWERS	+ / -
'07	686,000	27,000
'06	659,000	-13,000
'05	672,000	91,000
'04	581,000	98,000
'03	483,000	n/a