Senior-level Wal-Mart executives were guests of NASCAR at the May 22 Sprint All-Star Race in Charlotte and returned a week later to tour race shops and meet more team executives as the mass retailer explores potential partnerships.
While several scenarios are being considered and the talks remain fluid, industry sources say that Wal-Mart is discussing the potential of a direct license that would make it NASCAR’s exclusive retailer in the mass merchandise space. A direct license would give Wal-Mart the ability to select its suppliers and set prices for certain categories, such as hats and T-shirts.
These negotiations are going on as NASCAR attempts to roll its team and league licensing rights into a trust, which would create a centralized licensing agency for the sport.
Wal-Mart is believed to be exploring sponsorship opportunities with Hendrick Motorsports as well. Hendrick’s drivers – Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin – account for close to 75 percent of all licensed sales in the sport, industry analysts say, making it a logical team for Wal-Mart to sponsor. Hendrick has also signed popular driver Kasey Kahne, who will take over Martin's No. 5 car in 2012.
Wal-Mart is thought to be considering a sponsorship arrangement with a team or multiple teams, with Hendrick Motorsports in the middle of those discussions. It’s unclear, though, if the mass retailer will settle on one car for a chunk of the season, sponsor multiple cars for a few races each, or perhaps put together several driver deals into a marketing platform, a la the Gillette Young Guns or the Coca-Cola family of drivers.
One scenario, according to sources, has Wal-Mart sponsoring Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet for half of the season or more, as primary sponsor DuPont looks to scale back its spending. DuPont’s current primary sponsorship on the No. 24 car ends this season, and while the longtime sponsor is expected to remain in some form, it’s uncertain whether DuPont will remain the primary.
Other industry insiders say it’s unlikely that Wal-Mart would sponsor a single driver because the retailer will potentially have licensing arrangements across a variety of drivers.
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