Texas Announces Duck Commander 500

Duck Commander, the duck call brand made famous by the Robertson clan of A&E's "Duck Dynasty" fame, has signed a multi-year agreement to serve as title sponsor of the annual spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

The largest-attended, single-day sporting event annually in Texas with estimated average crowds in excess of 150,000 will be known as the Duck Commander 500 with this year's edition scheduled for Sunday, April 6. The two sides agreed to a three-year deal with a renewal option for an additional three years, but no financial terms of the agreement were announced. 

"This is perhaps the most unique sponsorship in professional sports because not only does this come with special branding, it comes with celebrity spokespeople that are followed by tens of millions of people every week," Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. "Fans will see members of the Robertson Family and cast of Duck Dynasty and all the rest during Duck Commander 500 week here at Texas Motor Speedway and we have produced some awesome merchandise that both race fans and Duck Commander fans will love. This marriage is perfection." 

"We're excited about the partnership for the Duck Commander 500, being aligned with NASCAR, and to have our brand associated with an event of this magnitude," shared Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson. "We are all big fans of NASCAR and have been all our lives. It's especially exciting to see our brand join to make it an awesome experience for the fan base and we can't think of a better place than our neighbor at the Texas Motor Speedway."  

While the Robertson family burst into the public eye and garnered immense popularity through A&E's "Duck Dynasty" reality show that premiered in 2012, the Duck Commander brand has been the foundation of the family business of duck calls since patriarch Phil Robertson founded the company in 1972 in West Monroe, La. 

Duck Commander has grown into a multi-million dollar business with Willie Robertson, one of Phil's four sons, serving as the CEO of the enterprise that now encompasses more than 1,000 Duck Commander products and a powerful stable of licensees. This race entitlement diversifies Duck Commander's business portfolio and will be unique in structure as the company will utilize their exclusive licensees to fund this sponsorship for the exposure and opportunities to align their product with their brand.

An extensive line of Duck Commander 500 merchandise will be sold at track and in the Speedway World souvenir store on race weekend and throughout the year, in addition to being available through Duck Commander retail partners. 

Uncle Si's Tea™ will be introduced and sold at track in single-serve options in both the sweet and unsweetened varieties. Texas Motor Speedway also will look to integrate products such as Duck Commander Family Foods' BBQ sauce, salsa and beef jerky with the speedway signature concession items. 

The Robertson family members also will have a strong presence on their race weekend, with several attending as well as having various VIP or honorary roles such as Grand Marshal or Honorary Starter.  

Tickets for the Duck Commander 500 officially go on sale Friday, Feb. 14. Fans interested in purchasing tickets prior to that date can do so by securing season tickets or by joining the Texas Motor Speedway Fan Club. Fan Club members will be eligible for a special Duck Commander 500 pre-sale event that begins 9 a.m. CT Friday.  For those interested in the Fan Club, please visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com/fan-zone/join.