Carl Edwards Signs Yet ANOTHER Sponsor – Best Buy – For 2012 NASCAR Season (Matt Kenseth, Too)

If you look at the previous post in this column (see below), you’ll see a headline that looks awfully similar to this one: Yet another NASCAR sponsor has signed to be on Carl Edwards’ Sprint Cup Series car for 2012.

This time, it’s Best Buy – which will sponsor both Edwards (two races) and Matt Kenseth (nine races) in 2012. In doing so, Best Buy ditches AJ Allmendinger and Richard Petty Motorsports – which just so happens to be affiliated with Roush Fenway Racing.

Ouch, right?

It’s no surprise sponsors find themselves so attracted to Edwards, though – even if his firesuit is more crowded than the highway outside Kentucky Speedway.

The dude is simply the most marketable driver in the sport. He’s friendly, smooth and will sell the crap out of your product. So really, what company wouldn’t want to be a part of Edwards’ program?

And it’s great for Kenseth – who was sponsorless after Crown Royal pulled out – to have one-quarter of the season sponsored. While the team still needs a ton of money to cover the season, it’s a start.

It’s a shame, though, that all this comes at the expense of Allmendinger and RPM. If you’re RPM, you’ve got to be livid that Roush – supposedly your racing partner – came and took a primary sponsor away.

Even if Best Buy approached Roush first, it’s mildly surprising there wasn’t some sort of agreement between the teams – perhaps initiated by Ford – that discouraged sponsors from jumping ship from the weaker team to the stronger one.

But it’s ultimately Best Buy’s money and decision, and the company can go where it wants. Will it cost Allmendinger a ride? Is it possible the No. 43 car might not hit the track this year?

Richard Petty said in a statement Tuesday the team will “explore all of our options in regard to the No. 43 team.” He also noted the car has “several partners that remain committed to the No. 43 team.”

It’s got to be a scary time for RPM and Allmendinger (who had improved this season). When a sponsor leaves this late, there’s very little chance to bring in another sponsor to replace all those races before the season starts.

Now what?