Reports say UPS drops sponsorship of Ragan, moves to Edwards team

Credit: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

According to a report on sportsbusinessdaily.com, UPS is dropping its full-season primary sponsorship of David Ragan's No. 6 Roush Fenway Ford. At this point, it is said that UPS will sponsor 4-8 races in 2012 and the company is in talks to shift that sponsorship to the No. 99 of Carl Edwards, who just re-signed for multiple years with Roush Fenway Racing. RFR President Steve Newmark has declined comment, stating that the team is still in discussion with UPS.


UPS was only one of seven sponsors that would have appeared on the same hood for all 36 races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The other full season sponsors are - FedEx, Home Depot, Lowe's, Menard's, Miller Lite and Napa Auto Parts. (Red Bull and Furniture Row own the teams that feature their logos.) 


The move may have been a bit predictable, UPS just signed a four-year, $100 million deal with 68 colleges. The company has a long history in NASCAR, becoming one of the first comapnies to use a driver as the public face for their brand. Dale Jarrett was featured in a multiyear campaign known as "Race the Truck" where he was seen in ads with the "Big Brown" truck being convinced to race it in a race.


Although UPS won't renew its full-season sponsorship, the company is expected to renew its partnership as the Official delivery comapny of NASCAR, which they have proudly been since 2000.