Get ready, NASCAR fans. It looks like the Craftsman Truck Series may be shifting its identity with a new entitlement sponsor, as FedEx Freight is rumored to be the leading candidate for 2027. If this deal comes to fruition, it would end Craftsman’s second tenure as the series’ leading sponsor and usher in a new era under the FedEx banner. Although the change may seem shocking, it aligns with NASCAR’s push to reshape how its national divisions are branded since Steve O’Donnell took over as CEO in April.
The series is no stranger to change. Craftsman first became the title sponsor in 1995 and ran through 2008 for 14 consecutive seasons before Camping World took over from 2009 to 2022. In 2023, in an attempt to realign with the brand that shaped the series’ identity, NASCAR signed a multi-year partnership with parent company Stanley Black & Decker. The organization appears to be preparing to expand its corporate footprint again with FedEx Freight as its commercial landscape continues to modernize.
FedEx will also benefit, as it is looking to rebrand and increase visibility since separating from FedEx Corporation in June. And what better way to do it than to attach its name to the Truck Series, which averages 23 to 25 races per season and delivers consistent exposure across the national stage, whether it be online or through TV broadcasts. Financially, the math makes sense, and it supports NASCAR’s current strategy.
According to industry experts, a modern entitlement deal falls in the lower eight-figure range annually, including purse contributions, media activation, digital rights, and track-level branding. In comparison, when Craftsman first took on the role of sponsor in the late 1990s, the cost was a fraction of today’s market value, which reflects how dramatically the sport’s commercial ecosystem has grown.
FedEx is no stranger to NASCAR fans. The company has spent 20 seasons, over 500 races, backing Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on the Cup Series stage. This has not only made it one of the most recognizable companies in the sport, but it has also made the transition to FedEx as an entitlement sponsor more substantial.
Even so, should the deal be set in motion, the 2027 season would debut the rebrand at its first-ever landmark points race at Bowman Gray Stadium on August 20th, a track known for tight and intense racing. For now, NASCAR has not issued an official announcement, but the momentum behind the negotiations suggests the series is preparing for another major shift.
Craftsman’s legacy will always reign supreme, but the sport’s commercial future appears ready to move forward with a freight-driven brand with a deep-rooted history already embedded in it. As the industry awaits confirmation, one thing is clear: the Truck Series is once again on the verge of reinvention, and FedEx Freight is positioned to become the next name etched into NASCAR’s national-series lineage.
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