Office Depot to sponsor Edwards' No. 99 entry

antig24 · January 12, 2005

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The sponsor search for Roush Racing's No. 99 Ford may have ended.

Office Depot, which became NASCAR's Official Office Products Partner this year, has signed a three-year deal to back Carl Edwards in Roush's Nextel Cup car.

"Office Depot's decision to join Roush Racing in 2005 will give NASCAR fans an opportunity to show their support for Carl Edwards and Roush Racing's No. 99 Ford Taurus in their office supply choices for their homes and offices," team owner Jack Roush said. "All of Roush Racing is extremely excited about the future with Carl and Office Depot in the years ahead."

But the sponsorship is only for a minimum of eight races, beginning with this year's Daytona 500. More races could be forthcoming for the team, which has been without a full-time sponsor since Citgo left after the 2003 season.

Edwards replaced Jeff Burton in the No. 99 last August, running in 13 of the season's final 14 races. Edwards, who graduated from Roush's Craftsman Truck Series program, performed well, finishing sixth in his second and third career starts and then finishing third at Atlanta.

"I'm really excited to have Office Depot on board as a primary sponsor in 2005," Edwards said. "This No. 99 team has worked extremely hard over the last year and I think we have a team that is capable of winning. To have a sponsor like Office Depot on the car is a great honor for me. The company's support will help our team in our quest to win races and a Nextel Cup Championship."

The No. 99 team finished 21st in Nextel Cup points last year, using Burton, Edwards and Dave Blaney as drivers. The team also had 13 sponsors on the car throughout the season, mostly one-race efforts.

"Office Depot is very excited about taking its relationship with NASCAR to the next level through our partnership with Roush Racing," said Chuck Rubin, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising/Marketing Officer for Office Depot. "Joining the NASCAR family and the championship Roush Racing team aligns our business with an exciting sport, a winning race team, and a talented young driver who will take care of business on the track."