Kahne made a similar move when his agency, Fuel Sports Management, took the interest Rockwell Tools expressed in an endorsement deal, which would have been worth more than $250,000, and converted it into a primary sponsorship — valued at more than $400,000 — on the No. 5 car at Darlington during the Bojangles’Southern 500.

Fuel Sports Management CEO Rod Moskowitz sees the shift away from driver endorsements to deals that incorporate team inventory as an opportunity for both drivers and brands.

“To really do an endorsement deal the right way, it’s best to have branding on a car,” Moskowitz said. “If you can use the driver with the car and have him in a uniform with your brand, it’s more authentic and sponsors get more value, and if you can get more deals to fill up the car, then the driver has a chance to make more money. That’s best for the sponsor and the team, and ultimately good things come from that.”