Walmart and Jeff Gordon?

[TeamBlueOval]

http://www.scenedaily.com/news/artic...urces_say.html

Even though it is Hendrick, this would be a huge deal for all of NASCAR to get Walmart involved.

[Dog]

I remember there was talk about it being the Walmart Series (instead of nationwide). I guess its more money and they are a big company, but yuck for Gordo

[speedfan]

I don't want them in the sport. I absolutely hate wal-mart. I can't believe that Jeff won't have enough sponsorship next year without the help of them

[TeamBlueOval]

I'm not a fan of Walmart either (much prefer Target), but like them or hate them, they are the BIGGEST business in the United States and it would be huge to have them in NASCAR.

[RacingDude]

I wouldn't mind having Wal-Mart in the series, just not sponsoring Gordon. LOL

[DeeDee]

^^ dittto

[mattemmy99]

Wal Mart should sponsor a MO driver....LOL! JK JK JK I know Carl shops there,as a friend I know,who used to work at WalMart,in Carls hometown,has seen him there~:P

[speedfan]

Wal Mart should sponsor a MO driver....LOL! JK JK JK I know Carl shops there,as a friend I know,who used to work at WalMart,in Carls hometown,has seen him there~:P

If they were going to sponsor a driver from a specific state, Mark would be the one because Walmart is based in Arkansas

[Jeni]

Good point Jon. LOL, as much as we shop in Walmart (I get my mom's discount on all non food items), it would've been cool having them on the No. 5 car But Walmart coming in would be good since Target is already in NASCAR with JPM.

[mattemmy99]

I was ONLY joking....Carl is my main driver,and wish they would have picked anyone but HMS>...LOL

[yatesracing]

UPDATE: Walmart has issued a statement that they will not be sponsoring Jeff Gordon's Hendrick Motorsports team. NASCAR has been the subject of several published reports that the world's largest retailer was in negotiations with Hendrick Motorsports to sponsor the #24 car for next season. On Wednesday August 25, Walmart released a statement as an Editor's Note to an in-house newsletter that mentioned the "numerous news stories" and concluded with the following sentence: "While we continue to employ a range of marketing initiatives to deliver our message of Save Money Live Better to our customer [sic], this is not one will be doing."(Bleacher Report)(8-30-2010

[DeeDee]

Wal-Mart deal with Gordon breaks down: Negotiations have broken down between Wal-Mart and Hendrick Motorsports over sponsorship of the #24 Chevy driven by Jeff Gordon. However, NASCAR's new licensing body, the NASCAR Teams Licensing Trust, remains confident a deal will be struck to make Wal-Mart the exclusive mass retailer for the sport's apparel. Those talks between the trust and Wal-Mart are ongoing, according to industry sources, and a deal is expected to be in place in time for the 2011 season. Wal-Mart had been deep into discussions with Hendrick Motorsports to sponsor Gordon's car, but Wal-Mart's interest in a primary sponsorship on a single car has waned. One source said Wal-Mart is in a re-evaluation process to determine the right place for its sponsorship spending and that it could still develop personal-services deals with an array of drivers, instead of going with a primary sponsorship of a single driver. Industry sources added that word of a potential deal between Wal-Mart and Hendrick had created a significant level of angst among the other Sprint Cup teams. They had expressed concern over how Wal-Mart, as the licensed mass retailer for the trust, would manage its relationship with all of the teams when it was a primary sponsor for Gordon, and whether Gordon's merchandise would receive favorable display in the stores.
Without Wal-Mart, Hendrick continues its search for a primary sponsor on the #24. DuPont has been the only primary sponsor Gordon has known since he came into the sport in 1992. The trio of DuPont, Gordon and Hendrick is the longest-running sponsor-driver-owner relationship in the Sprint Cup Series. But DuPont's current deal runs out at the end of this season, and Hendrick has been on the hunt for a replacement. DuPont could remain with the team as an associate sponsor, and Hendrick might even revisit DuPont about the primary sponsorship.(SportsBusiness Journal / Sporting News)(9-6-2010)

~jayski