Photo Credit: Noel Lanier
Tennessee based retail chain Dollar General announced on Monday afternoon they will be leaving NASCAR and will not sponsor Matt Kenseth’s No. 20 Toyota Camry at the end of the 2016 season.
In a statement released by Dollar General, the company confirmed it would not return to Kenseth and Joe Gibbs Racing or align themselves with another driver or team past this season.
“Dollar General has had tremendous success with NASCAR and our sponsorship of Joe Gibbs Racing,” the statement read. “We have enjoyed a great partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing and we are excited to see what the No. 20 Dollar General car driven by Matt Kenseth will accomplish during the remainder of 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Our strategy to reallocate our future marketing assets into new programs is strictly a business decision to align our priorities to better serve our customer in this rapidly changing retail environment.”
The move will leave Kenseth without a primary sponsor for 30 races in the 2017 season. Dollar General had steadily increased its sponsorship of the No. 20 car as previous sponsor Home Depot gradually reduced its spending before ultimately leaving the sport after the 2014 season. Dollar General sponsored 17 races at JGR in 2013, 27 in 2014 and 30 in each of the past two seasons.
Kenseth is currently 12th in the Sprint Cup Series standings after winning last weekend at Dover. Kenseth, whom has won thirteen races, is currently his fourth year at Joe Gibbs Racing including a runner up finish to Jimmie Johnson in the 2013 Cup Series standings.
