Two of NASCARs newest race organizations, the Key Motorsports Craftsman Truck Series team owned by Curtis W. Key, Sr., and JR Motorsports, the Dale Earnhardt, Jr.-owned Busch Series company, have formed a marketing alliance. The new union enables the two companies to include the other organization in its marketing and sponsorship processes. It will give corporations the opportunity to establish their branding and customer-related support and activation activities in two of NASCARs three leading touring series and with multiple teams and drivers. The two organizations worked together in a driver development format of sorts late last year when rookie driver Shane Huffman, driver of the JR Motorsports #88 Navy Chevy, was hired to run four races in the NCTS for Key Motorsports.(Key Motorsports PR)(12-14-2006)
UPDATE: JR Motorsports denies any formal alliance with Key Motorsports.(12-14-2006)
UPDATE 2: A statement from Key Motorsports owner, Curtis Key: “Yesterday, our organization released information to the media pertaining to a marketing alliance that we had established with JR Motorsports one that would have helped both of our racing organizations. Nothing in this release was inaccurate, but we did neglect to gain approval from JR Motorsports officials first before releasing it. For that, we apologize to JR Motorsports for any problems or misconceptions that this action may have caused, but I must emphasize that nothing inappropriate was ever intended. It was simply an overzealous reaction to a program that we all believed in and were very excited about building.”(Key Motorsports PR)(12-15-2006)
