Yahoo Sports 
Stewart-Haas and Nature's Bakery settle; company to sponsor 4 races in 2017
Nature’s Bakery will sponsor four races for Stewart-Haas Racing drivers after the company and race team reached a settlement regarding their sponsorship dispute.
The company will sponsor two races for Danica Patrick and two races for Clint Bowyer. Nature’s Bakery and Stewart-Haas had been involved in a legal battle regarding what the company owed the team to be Patrick’s primary sponsor for the majority of the 2017 season.
SHR sued Nature’s Bakery for a breach of contract before the 2017 season. In its response to SHR, the company said the suit was a threat of “scorched earth litigation.” The quotes in the statement announcing the settlement were far more amicable.
“It’s gratifying to see a difficult situation get resolved in a professional manner that suits all parties,” SHR president Brett Frood said in a statement. “Together, we worked diligently to find an equitable solution to our collective challenges.”
The team said Nature’s Bakery owed over $30 million and the company had tried to rework payment plans to get the money. The company alleged that SHR took advantage of it and that Patrick’s deal with Six Star nutritional products was a conflict with the Nature’s Bakery sponsorship.
“I am a longtime motorsports fan and, particularly, a fan of NASCAR,” Nature’s Bakery founder Dave Marson said in the same statement. “Our partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing began with direct, open conversations and that foundation allowed us to reach this agreement.
The two races for each driver have not been determined. Both drivers have massive sponsorship gaps to fill this season. Bowyer has been sponsored by team co-owner Gene Haas’ machine tool company for numerous races in 2017.
– – – – – – –
Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
