NASCAR driver Danica Patrick yesterday "wore an all-white Tax Act uniform" to NASCAR's preseason media event, "raising eyebrows about her sponsorship situation with the season just a month away," according to Jenna Fryer of the AP. Stewart-Haas Racing last year "signed a deal with Nature's Bakery as Patrick's primary sponsor." The brand was "scheduled to sponsor more than 20 races this year." SHR said that conversations with Nature's Bakery "are ongoing." The team said, "Nature's Bakery and Stewart-Haas Racing are in discussions about how the sponsorship might look in 2017. Both sides have options, and it's a matter of determining what is best for both parties." Patrick since the deal last year has "pushed the Nature's Bakery brand and often posted photos of herself eating gluten-free fig bars as snacks" (AP, 1/24). USA TODAY's Brant James notes Nature's Bakery is "scheduled to sponsor 25 of 36 points races this season but has the option to sell five." Rounding out Patrick's portfolio is Aspen Dental (four races), TaxAct (three) and Code 3 (three). So if Nature's Bakery were to "sell off five, that would leave six Cup races needing sponsorship." Nature’s Bakery, with about 500 employees, is "much smaller than many NASCAR sponsors" (USA TODAY, 1/25). MOTORSPORT.com's Jim Utter noted Nature's Bakery "adorned Patrick's car in 28 races" in '15. Patrick yesterday "did not address the sponsorship" (MOTORSPORT.com, 1/24). THE DAILY first reported in October that Nature’s Bakery was cutting back for the ’17 season, but the cutback at the time was depicted as slight. Why the situation appears to have potentially deepened since then was unclear as of presstime (Adam Stern, Staff Writer).
STILL THE "IT" GIRL: In Orlando, George Diaz writes under the header, "Danica Patrick Searching For NASCAR Groove Beyond Marketability." Patrick's on-track "struggle remains real," as she has "only six career Top 10s, and has finished 24th in points two seasons in a row." But Patrick is "still very much the 'It Girl' from a marketing standpoint." She "moves the needle with a variety of endorsements that include a new clothing line and a recipe book." The key is now "mixing together all the ingredients for a successful season" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 1/25).
