Farmers Insurance leaving Kasey Kahne's No. 5 team after 2017
Kasey Kahne’s most identifiable Hendrick Motorsports sponsor is leaving after the expiration of its current deal.
Farmers Insurance told Sports Business Journal that the company wouldn’t be renewing its agreement with the No. 5 team after the 2017 season. Farmers joined Hendrick Motorsports when the team signed Kahne before the 2011 season.
A spokesperson for the company told SBJ that it had “made a strategic decision to focus on other brand activities.” Farmers initially had sponsored about two-thirds of Kahne’s races with Hendrick Motorsports and is slated to be a primary sponsor for 12 races each in 2016 and 2017.
Farmers’ departure leaves Hendrick Motorsports with one insurance sponsor. Nationwide Insurance signed on before the 2015 season to sponsor Dale Earnhardt Jr. after it it didn’t renew its title sponsorship of what’s now the Xfinity Series.
Kahne has missed the Chase in each of his last two seasons. He qualified for the 2014 Chase with a win at Atlanta two races before the playoffs but finished 18th in 2015.
He’s currently 17th in the points standings with three top-five finishes and 12 top 10s. Crazily, he hasn’t led a lap this season despite completing the most laps of anyone in the Cup Series. Kahne and Jamie McMurray are the only drivers in the top 30 in the points standings who haven’t officially led.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
