7 NASCAR sponsorship deals that collapsed before making an impact

A host of drivers and races in the NASCAR realm are synonymous with a sponsor that has stayed by their respective entity for multiple years. However, not all sponsorship deals face the same reward, as some collapse before leaving an impact on the racing sphere and among the fans.

Though there are a myriad of sponsors flourishing in the series, some face lawsuits by their teams. So, without any further delay, let's look at some sponsors that backed out of NASCAR before leaving an impact on the people:

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7 NASCAR sponsorship deals that didn't achieve the desired results

#7 5-Hour Energy

5-Hour Energy was on the NASCAR field last time in 2018. It used to be a part-time sponsor for then-reigning champion Martin Truex Jr., who used to race for Furniture Row Racing.

While the energy beverage maker had also sponsored Steve Wallace, Clint Bowyer, and Erik Jones, its time in the series was marked with ups and downs, and it decided to end the sponsorship program to allocate funds to other divisions. This showcased how the sponsor left the sport at the top of Truex Jr.'s impressive results, potentially missing out on more visibility for the brand.

#6 Kmart

While 5-Hour Energy's sponsorship fallout was a bit more usual in the NASCAR realm, the same cannot be said for Kmart. The organization had multiple sponsorship agreements with the 2002 Daytona 500 and with Haas-Carter Motorsports.

The organization was one of the largest retailers back then, and HCM's two cars were poised to run the whole season with Kmart as its primary sponsor. However, at the beginning of the 2002 season, the retailer announced its bankruptcy and found itself in the courtroom to pay itself out of the deals that it had with the two entities.

This led to the team losing a variety of cars that it ran and ultimately folding its operations in the long run.

#5 DC Solar

DC Solar is one of the biggest sponsorship scandals in the history of NASCAR. The organization had advertised itself to make mobile solar generators and even got multiple NASCAR racetracks and Chip Ganassi Racing in the Cup Series as Kyle Larson ran a blue and white paint scheme for the company.

However, this deal did not stay afloat for long, as the FBI raided the company and found out it was a Ponzi scheme. This led to CGR ending its Xfinity Series program in 2019 after running dry of cash from not receiving the sponsorship money that it was promised.

#4 Oakwood Homes

Andy Petree Racing had announced that the No. 33 car that Joe Nemechek would be driving would be primarily backed by Okawood Homes for the 2000 and 2001 Cup Series seasons. However, the sponsor ran into financial troubles, leading it to back out of the initial deal.

This caused irreparable harm to APR, as the team found itself in financial problems, leading to its vanishing from the Cup Series field in the following years.

#3 Voyager Digital

Midway through the 2021 Xfinity Series season, Landon Cassill donned the Voyager Digital branding on his car and racing overalls to promote the cryptocurrency platform. While crypto sponsors were not new to NASCAR, there lay a twist: the 36-year-old was going to be paid entirely in cryptocurrency for the sponsorship.

While the company had a starkly rising graph in its early days, an investigation by regulatory authorities found the loopholes in its accounting and system, leading to it filing for bankruptcy. This saw it ending its run in the championship with Cassill, as he completed his 2022 season with Kaulig Racing and left the NASCAR ladder.

#2 Oracle

Oracle is famously known for its title sponsorship with Red Bull in F1, as the software-based company is known for its massive purse to get its name on the board almost anywhere. Moreover, the American technological giant was also slated to get on the NASCAR field at one point.

Oracle was poised to sponsor Kyle Busch when he was at Joe Gibbs Racing. However, this deal fell through before even materialising, leading to the team not being able to secure full-time sponsorship to hold the two-time champion in the squad and losing him to RCR in the grand scheme of things.

#1 Hooters

While Hooters recently returned to victory lane with Chase Elliott at the Texas Motor Speedway last year, the sponsorship agreement between Hendrick Motorsports was soon disbanded as the restaurant chain ran into financial troubles.

HM soon took Hooters to the courtroom for unpaid sponsorship money, where it was agreed that the latter organisation would pay $900,000 to the squad for honoring its sponsorship deal in 2024. Hooters filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, possibly ending its reign in the series as a sponsor for the foreseeable future.