Steak ‘n Shake is still deciding if and how it will return as a partner of Verizon IndyCar Series team Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, according to RLLR Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Tom Knox. The team has brought in several new partners this offseason that have announced deals taking primary sponsorships on the No. 15 Honda driven by Graham Rahal, and Steak ‘n Shake’s logo has not appeared anywhere on RLLR equipment or its website in recent months. That has led to speculation the QSR did not renew with the team.
Knox said that the QSR has new execs in its marketing department and that the team is giving those execs time to “get their feet underneath them and make business decisions for what’s best for the company and how we fit into that equation.” He added, “They’ve been a great partner and supporter of ours for many years and they continue to be a great supporter. … Our relationship is very strong and we hope to be a partner of theirs for years to come.” Parent company Biglari Holdings had a challenging ’17, with its stock down around 30% at one point from the end of ’16.
