Irwin Tools will leave Roush Fenway Racing at the end of the 2009 season (Getty Iamges)
Roush Fenway Racing’s quest to secure enough sponsorship to move Jamie McMurray’s #26 team over to the Yates Racing banner has taken another hit. It seems that Irwin Tools is set to leave the team at the end of the season, leaving Roush another sponsor short of funding a fifth team. It now seems likely McMurray will have to drive elsewhere in 2010.
Irwin Tools, and its parent company Newell Rubbermaid have been a big part of Roush Racing going all the way back to 2003. The company has used several of its brands on Roush cars in that time span, including Irwin Tools, Sharpie Pens, and Rubbermaid products.
Both McMurray and Kurt Busch have won races in Irwin sponsored race cars, and Busch won the 2004 championship with Sharpie pens as his sponsor. It seems that some other Cup team will get a chance to display this company’s colors as the company is looking to write the next chapter of its NASCAR history.
As for Roush we already know that McMurray’s other sponsor, Crown Royal, is moving over to the #17 team of Matt Kenseth. There it will likely join Carhartt and R&L Carriers as other part time primary sponsors.
Irwin may want out of Roush racing due to some of its other sponsors. Northern Tool and Equipment has been a long time sponsor of Roush Truck and Nationwide teams, and it was reported earlier this week that Fastenal has been signed to sponsor Carl Edwards in the Nationwide series in 2010. That may be one too many closely related sponsors for the folks at Irwin.
Of course Newell Rubbermaid has already moved some of their other sponsorships away from Roush team already. Sharpie left for a chance to sponsor Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the Lenox Tools sponsorship was moved from McMurray’s to the RCR #31 team of Jeff Burton.
In the end this is just a company looking to create a little more excitement with its sponsorship of race teams. In the world of NASCAR sponsor move about all the time.
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