LiftMaster will not renew its three-race sponsorship deal with Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team Hendrick Motorsports that expires after '17. LiftMaster sponsored HMS’ No. 5 Chevy driven by Kasey Kahne for three races a year from ’15-17. Financial terms of the brand’s deal were not known, but fellow No. 5 sponsor Farmers Insurance was paying the team around $660,000 per race, according to information revealed in a recently filed lawsuit cited by ESPN. LiftMaster Senior Manager of Sponsorships & Events Lori Zinaich wrote, “It has been a thrill to sponsor Hendrick Motorsports and Kasey Kahne these past few years. Our partnership has brought so much to our customers and the LiftMaster family, and we are thankful to have had the opportunity to support the team.” Sources said that other teams in the garage have chased LiftMaster, but the results of those efforts were unknown as of presstime. Zinaich wrote of future deals, “We are still evaluating and will make an announcement once decisions have been finalized.” LiftMaster, which has worked with CSM Sport & Entertainment on its motorsports marketing, also has several track deals with SMI’s Charlotte Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. The status of those deals moving forward were unclear as of presstime. Kahne is departing HMS after this season and his HMS Chevy, which is changing numbers from the No. 5 to the No. 24, will be filled by highly touted Xfinity Series driver William Byron. The main sponsors on that car next season known as of now are Axalta and Liberty Univ., along with smaller backer UniFirst. Longtime HMS sponsor Pepsi also makes occasional appearances on the car.
