Best Buy on Friday announced it will return as a primary sponsor of Roush Fenway Racing's No. 17 Sprint Cup Series car driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. next year. The electronics retailer will expand its deal to become the primary sponsor for 17 races in '13. The deal it signed for this season was only for nine races. Financial terms of the one-year deal were not available. Best Buy paid approximately $10M in '10 for sponsorship of Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43 car. Matt Kenseth, who drove the No. 17 this year, gave Best Buy six top-10 finishes and put it in victory lane at the Daytona 500. Kenseth is leaving RFR at the end of the season to join Joe Gibbs Racing, and Stenhouse, the defending Nationwide Series champion, is replacing him. CAA Sports negotiated Best Buy's deal. In addition to an expanded deal with Best Buy, RFR Friday announced the other two sponsors on the No. 17 car -- Zest and Fifth Third Bank -- will return in '13. Both sponsors signed four-race deals for this year that included options to extend. RFR President Steve Newmark said that the three extensions mean the No. 17 car is 70% sold for '13. Newmark said, "Although we have some open inventory, we're thrilled to have three new partners who saw significant positive returns on this year decide to return and expand their investment." Newmark said the team is in discussions with some potential sponsors about its remaining open inventory.
PEAK POSITION: Peak Motor Oil, a division of Old World Industries, has signed a three-race deal with Michael Waltrip Racing for the No. 15 Sprint Cup car driven by Clint Bowyer. The multiyear agreement makes Peak Motor Oil an associate sponsor throughout the '13 season on all three MWR Sprint Cup entries and a primary sponsor for three races on the No. 15 car. It also will have the ability to incorporate team Owner Michael Waltrip into marketing materials. Peak Motor Oil claims approximately 6% of the motor oil market. Old World Industries VP/Marketing & CMO Bryan Emrich said the company explored opportunities with other NASCAR teams but signed with MWR because it had a similar culture and shared a desire to increase Peak’s brand awareness at the same time Peak helped expand the race team. The deal is designed to help Peak Motor Oil raise its brand awareness among do-it-yourself consumers.
