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The History of Home Depot Racing

The formation of Home Depot Racing has a very unique and meaningful tie to the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer. Many would assume the sponsorship evolved out of a boardroom or perhaps a CEO’s office. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The distinctiveness of the Home Depot Racing sponsorship is that it was born amongst the concrete floors and orange aisles of electrical, building materials, paint, plumbing, gardening and hardware. The soul and spirit of Home Depot Racing walks each and every Home Depot store and can only be found within the hearts of its associates.

In the late 1990s, Home Depot founding fathers Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus heard the request from thousands upon thousands of associates who thought a NASCAR sponsorship would be a great way to build the brand and lead the company into a sport with strong fan demographics and widespread appeal.

In September 1998, the associate’s request became reality as The Home Depot entered the exciting sport of NASCAR through a multi-year partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing to field a team in what is now known as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. In addition, The Home Depot signed an exclusive deal with NASCAR making it the official Home Improvement Warehouse of NASCAR.

In 1999, the #20 Home Depot machine debuted on the front row of the Daytona 500 with 27-year-old rookie driver Tony Stewart behind the wheel. An accomplished open-wheel pilot, Stewart was virtually unknown amongst the stock car set. However, following one of the most successful rookie campaigns in NEXTEL Cup history, where the team captured two poles and visited victory lane three times, the name Tony Stewart would be hard to forget.

That same year, Stewart also competed in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca Cola 600 on the same day. Stewart’s “Double Duty” attempt was successful as he completed 1,090 racing miles, finishing ninth and fourth, respectively.

Stewart went on to finish fourth in the NEXTEL Cup point standings that year and won the 1999 Rookie of the Year title. After accomplishing so much in such a short period of time, many were anxious to see if the young Home Depot Racing phenomenon could continue his successful run into the 2000 season.

In the new millennium, Stewart would continue his dominating ways, capturing six victories to become the winningest driver on the circuit that year. Scoring wins at Michigan, New Hampshire, Martinsville (Va.), Homestead (Fla.) and sweeping the two Dover (Del.) races earned him another top-10 finish in the final point standings.

Stewart and Company won an additional three point races in 2001, raising their NEXTEL Cup career victory tally to 12. Another Home Depot Racing milestone would be accomplished that year as Stewart competed in “Double Duty II.” On his second attempt at competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, Stewart completed all 1,100 racing miles – more than any other driver in racing history – shattering the record he set in 1999. The conclusion of the 2001 season found Stewart second in the point standings with racing pundits predicting Stewart as a title favorite entering the 2002 season.

In the sponsorship’s fourth year, Home Depot Racing and driver Tony Stewart answered those predictions by earning the 2002 championship. Stewart won three races that year, edging veteran driver Mark Martin for the title by 38 points.

But getting there wasn’t easy, as Stewart finished 43rd in the season-opening Daytona 500 to start his title chase last in the point standings. It wasn’t until round 30 of the 36-race schedule at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October that Stewart and the team took control of the point lead. Once they established themselves in the top spot, they put together a string of solid finishes, helping secure their championship season.

The 2003 season was very productive for the entire Home Depot Racing family. Wearing the crown of reigning NEXTEL Cup champions, Home Depot, Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart together signed long-term contracts carrying the motorsport sponsorship through 2009.

In July of 2003, Home Depot showcased an original copy of the Declaration of Independence during the Pepsi 400 weekend at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. A special climate controlled display set was erected onsite to accommodate the 227 year-old document. The Home Depot also designed a Declaration of Independence Road Trip paint scheme for the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet, paying tribute to the document’s national tour.

As the 2003 season came to an end, it set up a “changing of the guard” scenario for NASCAR and its participants.

A new system for crowning the champion was implemented for 2004 with the final 10 races serving as “The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.” Here’s how it works: All 43 teams race as usual over the first 26 events of the year, but only the top-10 in the points after the 26th event, and anyone else within 400 points of the leader, are eligible for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. The points of the eligible drivers are recalibrated so that they’re only separated by five point increments, with the points earned in the final 10 races deciding the champion.

As NASCAR began a new chapter in 2004, the same held true for Home Depot and Joe Gibbs Racing, with team owner Joe Gibbs returning to the NFL as head coach of the Washington Redskins. The NFL Hall of Fame coach retired from the Redskins following the 1992 season after leading the team to three Super Bowl victories. With Gibbs returning to the NFL, J.D. Gibbs – Joe’s oldest son and president of Joe Gibbs Racing – took the helm, overseeing the day-to-day operation of the company’s three NEXTEL Cup and two Busch Series teams.

On the race track in 2004, Stewart and crew put together another solid season, finishing sixth in the inaugural “Chase for the NEXTEL Cup” with wins at Chicagoland and Watkins Glen (N.Y.).

But in a change of pace, it was off the track where Stewart received the most accolades. In December, Stewart was recognized for his philanthropy by being named NASCAR’s USG Person of the Year. The annual award carried a $100,000 payment, which was to be split between the winning driver and his charity of choice. Stewart, however, donated the entire amount to Kyle and Pattie Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp, a facility for chronically ill children in Randleman, N.C. Stewart’s charitable works were also recognized by USA Weekend, which named him 2004’s “Most Caring Athlete” and The Sporting News, which named him “NASCAR’s Good Guy” in its annual “Good Guys” issue.

While the off-track recognition was nice, Stewart spent 2005 securing his on-track legend.

It was a career year for the seventh-year NEXTEL Cup driver, as Stewart won five races in a dominating seven-race stretch. A sweep of the road course races at Sonoma (Calif.) and Watkins Glen book-ended Stewart’s victories, and in between was his first restrictor plate win at Daytona in July, followed by a win two weeks later at New Hampshire, which led to an emotional victory at Stewart’s home track on the first Sunday in August – Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And when Stewart wasn’t winning, he was finishing up front, as his 17 top-fives and 25 top-10s attest. It all added up to another championship season, with Stewart becoming just the 14th driver to win multiple Cup Series titles.

It was another banner year in the history of Home Depot Racing, because augmenting the racing success was the company’s philanthropic success.

“Racing to Play,” a partnership between The Home Depot, Joe Gibbs Racing and the national non-profit organization KaBOOM!, kicked-off on Thurs., June 16 at the Jackson Arts & Technology Academy in Jackson, Mich. Volunteers and Joe Gibbs Racing team members, including Stewart and crew chief Greg Zipadelli, built the first of 10 NASCAR-themed playgrounds for at-risk youth in NASCAR race communities. The “Racing to Play” program identified and worked with 10 organizations in select race markets to build NASCAR-themed KaBOOM! playgrounds in a single day at the organization’s site. The program targeted organizations that serve children, including those that support at-risk youth and provide positive after-school and learning environments. Once the Jackson build was completed, builds took place in Daytona Beach, Fla.; Markham, Ill.; Indianapolis; Fontana, Calif.; Richmond, Va.; Talladega, Ala.; Kansas City, Kan.; Atlanta; and Phoenix.

“Racing to Play” continues in 2006, with the #20 Home Depot Racing Team expected to continue their winnings ways as the defending NEXTEL Cup champions.