Great Clips Inc. has signed a primary sponsorship agreement for 28 races next season with JR Motorsports. The partnership brings Kasey Kahne and Brad Sweet to JR Motorsports, adding to a lineup that already includes Regan Smith, the series’ most recent winner, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The addition of Great Clips further establishes the JR Motorsports line-up for 2013, albeit with substantial changes from two months ago. First, it guarantees the company will field at least two entries in 28 of 33 Nationwide Series events. Smith is already committed to driving a full schedule, and Earnhardt Jr. will compete in select races in a third car. Additionally, car numbers have been reassigned to align with Kahne’s branding in the Sprint Cup Series. Kahne and Sweet will split time in the #5 Chevrolet for 27 races. Smith will compete for a championship in the #7, and Earnhardt Jr. will carry his familiar #88 in a limited schedule that presently stands at four races.
One of Earnhardt’s races will be with Great Clips branding to fill out the 28-race sponsorship package. JR Motorsports General Manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller said the organization still isn’t committing the #5 team to a full-season slate but continues to work at securing sponsorship to fill out the remaining six races. A race schedule for Kahne and Sweet in the #5 Great Clips Chevy is still to be determined. So, too, is Earnhardt Jr.’s complete Nationwide Series slate. To date his only announced races are Feb. 23 at Daytona International Speedway and March 9 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, both in the #88 TaxSlayer.com Chevy. (JR Motorsports)
