A Nostalgic Turn in NASCAR’s Sponsorship Landscape
NASCAR has named FedEx Freight as the new title sponsor of its Truck Series, ending a nearly three‑year run by Craftsman that began in 2023 and stretches back to the mid‑1990s.
The agreement, which is slated to be finalized within weeks, is reported to be a multi‑year contract worth tens of millions of dollars annually, covering purse payouts, rights fees and media placements.
The deal comes as FedEx Freight, a logistics subsidiary that separated from parent FedEx Corp in June 2023, steps into a role that has long been intertwined with veteran driver Denny Hamlin, whose final Cup Series contract with Joe Gibbs Racing runs through 2027.
Hamlin’s most recent victory under a FedEx‑branded scheme came at the 2023 Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol, a race that also marked the last time his car carried the FedEx Freight livery before the partnership with the parent company dissolved.
Fans have voiced a mix of frustration and humor on social platforms, recalling the historic overlap between FedEx Freight and Hamlin’s former sponsor and questioning the timing of the re‑branding just as Hamlin’s career winds down.
While the financial details remain under wraps, the sponsorship package is expected to reshape the series’ commercial landscape, offering teams a stable funding base as the division continues to evolve.