Nature’s Bakery Returns as Stewart-Haas Racing Sponsor

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor

In a reversal of the sponsorship upheaval at the start of the 2017 season between Stewart-Haas Racing and Nature’s Bakery, the organization announced on Friday that the health food company, which had served as primary sponsor for Danica Patrick in 2016, would return as a sponsor for both Patrick and Clint Bowyer for four races later this season.

The four races that Nature’s Bakery will serve as sponsor will be announced at a later date.

After their logos were plastered on Patrick’s car throughout the 2016 season, both Nature’s Bakery and Stewart-Haas Racing came to an impasse over the offseason that resulted in SHR filing a $31.7 million lawsuit against the company for breach of contract. The lawsuit from SHR would in turn cause Nature’s Bakery to file a countersuit, locking the two in a court battle over the sponsorship deal and leaving Patrick without a sponsor for a number of races in 2017.

However, the two seemed to have come to an amicable solution as all lawsuits have been dropped and Nature’s Bakery will be back with the team later this year.

“It’s gratifying to see a difficult situation get resolved in a professional manner that suits all parties,” said Brett Frood, president, Stewart-Haas Racing. “Together, we worked diligently to find an equitable solution to our collective challenges.”

“I am a longtime motorsports fan and, particularly, a fan of NASCAR,” said Dave Marson, founder of Nature’s Bakery. “Our partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing began with direct, open conversations and that foundation allowed us to reach this agreement.”