NASCAR Sprint Cup series driver Danica Patrick and her primary sponsor GoDaddy are parting ways at the end of the 2015 season. The web hosting company made the announcement via an emailed press release Wednesday morning. The company said it is looking to diversify its marketing investment across more channels and regions and is trying to expand global awareness of its brand.
GoDaddy has been the primary sponsor for Patrick since she joined NASCAR in 2012. When Patrick moved to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2013, GoDaddy was her primary sponsor for her full time efforts. Patrick signed with GoDaddy for the 2007 IndyCar season where, in 2008, she became the first woman to win an IndyCar race. In the last two years the company said it has grown to serve 37 countries in 17 languages. The move to leave NASCAR according to the company is to help fortify its presence in Asia by the end of this year, and reallocate portions of the marketing spend internationally to places where the brand is not as well-known.
“We love Danica and all she does to empower and inspire people, especially women, which is why we are working to keep her in the GoDaddy family,” said GoDaddy Chief Marketing Officer Phil Bienert. “We have the utmost respect for Stewart-Haas Racing, and they’ve been phenomenal partners. In fact, NASCAR has been a tremendous domestic platform to help us achieve an 81 percent aided brand awareness domestically, but at this stage, we need a range of marketing assets that reach a more globally-diverse set of customers. The fact Danica is having a record-setting season makes it tough to leave this motorsports sponsorship, without a doubt.” MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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