Stewart-Haas Racing yesterday formally unveiled Smithfield Foods and Aric Almirola as sponsor and driver of its No. 10 Ford, starting in '18. Smithfield will sponsor the car for the entire season, a commitment that keeps the company as one of the handful of remaining brands in NASCAR with a full-season deal. The No. 10 will be painted black and gold colors -- Smithfield's corporate colors. Smithfield Exec VP/Retail Sales & Packaged Meats Division John Pauley yesterday told
THE DAILY that the Virginia-based company, which is owned by Hong Kong-based WH Group, did factor in possible B2B opportunities in its decision to sponsor the Monster Energy Cup Series team. SHR works with a number of brands who serve pork products, including Jimmy John’s, Outback Steakhouse and Hunt Brothers Pizza -- and any deal by Smithfield to serve or increase the amount of its products it sells to those companies could be worth seven or even eight figures in new revenue for the company and justify the sponsorship to a greater extent. SHR will also look to broker possible cross-promotional opportunities with some of its sponsors like Busch Beer, as it could look to have the two companies do a joint activation at grocery stores or other locations (
Adam Stern, Staff Writer).
WINNING IS EVERYTHING? FORBES' Dave Caldwell noted Almirola has a "good relationship with Smithfield" after driving the brand's car for Richard Petty Motorsports. Pauley said, "We strongly believe in Aric’s ability and that of Stewart-Haas Racing, and those abilities transcend the racetrack. They want to consistently run up front and contend for wins, but they’re also very interested in helping us win in the marketplace." Caldwell: "
Win in the marketplace. And there you have it: racing’s bottom line, now and forever." Meanwhile, driver Matt Kenseth "could have, or should have, been considered for the No. 10 ride, but he does not have the link to Smithfield." Almirola "might do well" at SHR, but his track record is "nothing like Kenseth’s." SHR going with Almirola is "another painful example, though, of who, or what, really drives this sport" (
FORBES.com, 11/8).
