Hendrick Motorsports terminate Hooters partnership

Nascar outfit Hendrick Motorsports have terminated their long-term partnership with American restaurant chain Hooters, as confirmed by Racer.

Confirmed:

• Hooters’ logo was absent from Chase Elliott’s car at Nashville Superspeedway
• Company is no longer listed on Hendrick’s partner page on its website
• Hendrick say Hooters ‘has not been able to meet its business obligations’

Context:

Hooters has been a long-term partner of Hendrick Motorsports, first signing on with the team back in 2017. The brand ran as primary sponsor for three races per season, most recently signing a three-year extension before the 2022 season.

Ultimately, with two of its three races already competed this season, it means Hooters is only missing out on one race of primary sponsorship as agreed in the original extension, which was set to be Richmond Raceway in August. The restaurant chain is reportedly struggling financially, with USA Today reporting that 44 US locations have permanently closed their doors last week.

Comment:

A Hendrick Motorsports statement to Racer read: ‘Hooters has been a valued partner of Hendrick Motorsports since 2017, contributing to our shared successes both on and off the track. In recent months, however, Hooters has not been able to meet its business obligations to our organisation.

‘Due to these unfortunate and unexpected circumstances, and despite extensive efforts on both sides to identify a workable solution, it became necessary for Hendrick Motorsports to end the relationship. It has been a privilege having Hooters as a part of our team, and we wish them the best.’

Coming next:

Nascar hosts the second-ever Chicago Street race this weekend from 5th to 7th July.

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• Nascar’s US$7.7bn TV deal: Why the annual value went up, who gets what, and the impact on fans
• The reluctant activist: How Bubba Wallace went from a kid racing cars to driving change in Nascar