Tony Stewart signs Bass Pro as lead sponsor

Stewart-Haas Racing has signed on Bass Pro Shops as a lead sponsor of the company's No. 14 Chevrolet, driven by three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart.

Stewart drove the Bass Pro-branded Chevrolet into the Outdoor World parking lot on South Campbell Avenue yesterday, announcing the partnership a day before details were announced at Talladega Superspeedway.

“We are thrilled and honored to become the primary sponsor of our good friend and fellow outdoorsman Tony Stewart,” Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris said in a news release. “It is a great opportunity for our company to be involved at racing's highest level with a great conservationist and outdoorsman who is considered by many to be the greatest all-around race driver of all time.”

Bass Pro will co-sponsor the No. 14 car for 18 races during the 2013 season. Mobile 1 will brand the hood of the car for 11 races, according to SportingNews.

“We’re very proud to have a longtime partner in Bass Pro Shops take a larger Sprint Cup level role,” Stewart said in the release. "I’ve known Johnny Morris for years, and he’s one of my good friends. We want to help grow his business and share his passion for promoting the outdoors. After years of representing Bass Pro Shops, it’s great to expand the relationship to a primary sponsorship in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.”

Bass Pro had partnered with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and driver Jamie McMurray, who won the Daytona 500 in 2010 under the Bass Pro flag. The release indicated a continuing relationship with the team, but specific details weren't stated.[[In-content Ad]]