Subway dumps Stewart for fitter Edwards
Quote selected text Published August 22nd, 2008 in NASCAR News
NASCAR driver Tony Stewart is having a pretty bad week. During the same week Stewart was docked 150 points for his team’s efforts to mask his car’s true horsepower at a recent Nationwide Series race, Stewart also lost a key sponsor. Officials for Subway restaurants this week announced that they are ditching Stewart for fellow NASCAR driver Carl Edwards.
Subway officials denied that Stewart’s expanding waistline had anything to do with the decision. They did however say that Edwards’ focus on healthy living and eating was a big part of the decision. Sports marketers said Edwards, called the “fittest man in NASCAR” last year by Men’s Fitness magazine, is more compatible with Subway’s health-conscious message.
Subway’s departure comes as Stewart is leaving Joe Gibbs Racing to start Stewart-Haas Racing and drive the No. 14 Chevrolet sponsored by Office Depot. Stewart-Haas will field two cars next year, the No. 14 and No. 4, and sources say Stewart has been negotiating with Burger King for the No. 4 car, which will be driven by Ryan Newman. NASCAR sources said Subway officials were irked at Stewart’s talks with Burger King, which would create a category sponsorship conflict within the team.
Subway is expected to be primary sponsor for Edwards’ No. 99 Ford in three Sprint Cup races next year and sign him to a personal-services agreement to use him in its advertising. The three-race primary sponsorship will run Subway about $2.25 million. Subway is expected to be an associate sponsor the remainder of the year. Terms on the personal services agreement were estimated at a high six-figure to low seven-figure annual sum.
Bookmark to:
- Subway to sponsor Tony Stewart’s No 20 in three races in 2008
- Edwards will auction firesuit and helmet from Martinsville race
- No retirement consideration for Stewart … for at least 2 1/2 years
- Carl Edwards, Bobby Labonte to intern in Phoenix track’s ticket office for a day
- Carl Edwards apologizes for Stewart remarks
I detest all of those Subway commercials almost as much as I detest their food, so it’s good that Edwards (a driver I don’t really like or dislike) is going to be their posterboy. Smoke doesn’t need them anyhow… He’s does so many other plugs for things that I can’t imagine this is going to hurt his bottom line at all. Seems like every time I turn on the TV I see Tony’s big old head!!!
It makes more sense with Carl anyways, annoying commercials with an annoying driver.
Tony can find real food to sponsor him now.
It’s about time that Carl was rewarded for his lifestyle emphasis on physical fitness. Kudos to Subway, and even greater kudos to my driver!
Ouch. Haha.
I think this has more to do with a certain Burger joint coming on board to SHR as a sponsor for Newmans car then it does anything else.
Fisha695 wrote:
Thats true thats the only reason why subway left,not that i care subways food sucks anyway havent ate there in years and have 1 down the street where i live.
Lisa wrote:
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FLIPPER THE DOLPHIN………
Lee88-20 wrote:
Yup got two of them in my town (one in a little strip mall, and one in the Walmart) and I haven’t eaten in either one for probaly close to a year. One of the local Pizza shops and/or delis may be a little more expensive but their subs taste better and easily have twice as much “heft” to them.
I think it’s about Burger King and the fact Carl is the image of healthy lifestyle. I love Smoke but like me he battles his weight and doesn’t seem to enjoy exercise. I don’t mind exercise I get plenty doing yard work and gardening and my bike. Carl will be good for Subway and gotta admit Ryan looks like Burger King boy!
So basically they swapped sponsors for next year. More important who cares what these guys look like and how there sponsors look with them. These guys are racecar drivers not models, hopefully no driver well get be abused as bad as Kahne was when he danced like a new kid on the block,,,, god that was horrible
Tony’s new associate sponsor should be Chef Boyardee.
Tony and Bobby were great with those old Chef Boyardee commercials. Wasn’t Tony shaving his body at one point during a commercial? Bobby told him it would streamline him or something. Biffle had a cool Subway commercial where he flipped the sandwich all over his crew chief. Rowdy and Fisha are both right. And it was only 2 retirement tours ago when Martin was the most fit driver in NASCAR. Whatta ya think? Logano and Clearisil next?
Who cares about Subway…I wouldn’t eat their food with YOUR mouth
Tony should get a REAL sponsor now like “The Black Angus Cattlemens Association”