Stenhouse Jr. Gets New Primary Sponsor Thanks To Edwards

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Carl Edwards will no longer be a part of Roush Fenway Racing come the end of the 2014 season. It would also appear that Edwards isn’t going to be racing a Ford next season seeing as how Ford Racing came out this weekend and thanked Edwards and his contributions while behind the wheel of a Ford. As Edwards transitions to the next stage in his career it will be interesting to see which sponsors stay with him and which ones remain with RFR. It would appear that Fastenal while be remaining with the RFR camp.

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It was announced earlier this week that Fastenal will be the primary sponsor of the No. 17 car in 2015; that car is of course driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. For the last three season Fastenal has been the primary sponsor for the No. 99 car of Edwards while working on a smaller scale with Stenhouse Jr. and Greg Biffle. Jack Roush commented on Fastenal teaming up with the No. 17 car when RFR announced the move via a press release.

"Fastenal is a first class partner and we are extremely pleased to have them team with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 17 team starting next year. Ricky has accomplished a great deal in a short time, and continues to improve each week. We have very high expectations for his success in the future and I’m thrilled that Fastenal will be a part of that."

Fastenal President Lee Hein addressed no longer sponsoring Edwards and remaining with RFR in 2015.

"We appreciate everything Carl has done and wish him nothing but the best. That said, we’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with Roush Fenway Racing as the anchor sponsor of the No. 17. We already have a strong relationship with Ricky, and we’re 100 percent confident that he’ll do a great job representing our company on and off the track."

Lastly Stenhouse Jr. himself commented on his new primary sponsor and his feelings towards 2015.

"As a driver, I’m thrilled to have Fastenal on board for next season. I grew up working in a race shop, helping my dad build cars and racing engines. I appreciate the chance to work with a partner like Fastenal that plays such an important role in building our race cars and helping us win on the track. I’ve had the opportunity to work with them in the past and meet a lot of the men and women that are part of the ‘Blue Team.’ I look forward to representing them on the racetrack, and to taking them to victory lane."

This move or at least moves like this should come as no surprise. The contracts and agreements between teams and sponsors mostly dictates how this kind of stuff plays out. If Fastenal has a deal with RFR they are going to remain with them regardless of which drivers come and go. A company like Subway on the other hand seems to have more of a relationship with Edwards as opposed to RFR. As a result of this it would make sense for Subway to move with Edwards to wherever it is that he is going in 2015.

Be sure to check back with Beyond The Flag as we continue to cover the fallout of Edwards leaving RFR.

Christopher Olmstead is the Editor of BeyondTheFlag.com on the FanSided Network. Follow us on Twitter @Beyond_The_Flag and “Like” us on Facebook.

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