GoDaddy.Com Fills the Sponsorship Gap for NASCAR's JR Motorsports

Dale Earnhardt Jr. can relax just a little bit more now. His NASCAR Nationwide Series Team, like many other teams in the garage area are, was lacking in sponsorship for the 2009 season. But in a recent announcement it was revealed that GoDaddy.com will fill in the sponsorship gaps at JR Motorsports on the #88 Chevy and will also help out Earnhardt's driver Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series with Hendrick Motorsports (source: jayski.com).

GoDaddy.com extends its relationship with NASCAR's most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. with its announcement that it will be the primary sponsor for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series in 2009 for 20 events. The deal includes a two race sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the #5 Nationwide Series car and the remaining 18 events going to the #88 Nationwide Series car driven by championship contender Brad Keselowski. In addition, GoDaddy.com will become an associate sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Hendrick Motorsports #5 car piloted by veteran driver Mark Martin. GoDaddy.com will also be the primary sponsor for Brad Keselowski's #25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy that will attempt to make seven events in the 2009 season (source: jayski.com).

GoDaddy.com joins Unilever (11 races) and Delphi Corporation (six races) as primary sponsors of the #88 Nationwide Series car. Despite finishing third in the standings and winning two races, Keselowski's team lost the Navy as their primary sponsor after the 2008 season leaving JR Motorsports to scramble to secure full sponsorship in the off season (source: nascar.com). Now the team can focus on other matters pertaining to the car and crew as sponsorship for the #88 is no longer an issue.

Just the mere fact that JR Motorsports was able to secure full sponsorship so quickly speaks to the ever growing popularity of Dale Earnhardt Jr. While other teams in the garage area are finding it hard to get any type of sponsors, JR Motorsports has been able to forge ahead. For GoDaddy.com it was a no brainer as Dale Earnhardt Jr. is already their spokesman and the company was involved with JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports last season on a limited schedule.

You can't really blame GoDaddy.com for wanting to fill in the sponsorship gaps for JR Motorsports or any other sponsor for wanting to be involved with Dale Earnhardt. Jr. NASCAR is after all a business and like any other business that involves advertising, the advertiser wants the most bang for their buck. This becomes especially true in a down economy such as the one we are currently experiencing. As far as NASCAR goes, there is no bigger name that Dale Earnhardt Jr. He has won the NASACR most popular driver award six years in a row now and he is always featured on race day whether he is running good or bad. While Brad Keselowski is a great driving talent, there are plenty of driving talents in NASCAR that won't be fully sponsored this season. Keselowski just happens to drive for the right person at the right time. So be it right or wrong it is the nature of the advertising (and NASCAR) beast.