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Stewart-Haas Racing responds to Nature’s Bakery claim about not seeing a bigger return in sponsoring Danica Patrick

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Can-Am 500 - Practice

AVONDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 11: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 11, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

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What is the value a sponsor can receive in its affiliation with a NASCAR driver and team?

Stewart-Haas Racing states in court documents filed this week that Nature’s Bakery received about $11.5 million in media exposure as Danica Patrick’s sponsor in 2016.

Stewart-Haas Racing cited those figures in response to Nature’s Bakery claim that it did not see the return it was led to believe it would experience as Patrick’s sponsor. Nature’s Bakery terminated its three-year sponsorship agreement with the team in January even though two years remained on the deal.

Stewart-Haas Racing filed a $31 million breach of contract lawsuit Feb. 3 against Nature’s Bakery. The amount comes from $15.2 million Nature’s Bakery was to have paid to sponsor Patrick in 2017 and 2018, along with other costs. Nature’s Bakery sponsored Patrick only in 2016.

In its response, Nature’s Bakery stated in court documents Feb. 24 that “SHR’s promises were illusory and misleading. There was no massive increase in sales. … As a result, the Sponsorship came nowhere close to fulfilling its promises, nor justifying the more than $17 million Nature’s Bakery paid SHR in 2016.’’

In response to those claims, Stewart-Haas Racing stated in court documents this week that:


  • The MVP Index of 2016 driver and sponsor rankings stated that Patrick had a higher sponsor integration into her social media platforms than Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Nationwide, Brad Keselowski and Miller Lite, Kasey Kahne and Farmers Insurance, Kevin Harvick and Jimmy John’s and Chase Elliott and NAPA.
  • From Jan. 1, 2016 to Aug. 31, 2016, Patrick and Nature’s Bakery generated the fifth most impressions of any NASCAR brand.
  • Patrick appeared in Coca-Cola and Mobil 1 TV commercials in her Nature’s Bakery firesuit. She also was in national campaigns for Goodyear, Chevrolet in her Nature’s Bakery firesuit.
  • According to TVEyes, television news exposures generated about $4.5 million in media exposure value.
  • According to the Meltwater clipping service, the estimated internet media exposures generated for Nature’s Bakery was almost $7 million.

Read Stewart-Haas Racing’s court filing detailing media exposure for Nature’s Bakery
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