NASCAR: Target trims Larson backing for 2017

Kyle Larson's No. 42 Chevrolet will have 5-10 races open for new sponsorship opportunities in 2017.

Chip Ganassi Racing confirmed a report from the SportsBusiness Journal that Target and CGR came to a mutual agreement to reduce the number of races Target will serve as Larson's primary sponsor. The company, through both its Target and other vendor brands such as Axe, Energizer, and Clorox, has been Larson's sole sponsor since he joined the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2014.

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In 2017, Target will still have the majority of races on Larson's car and is expected to continue with its activation.

"It's something that we worked on together, and it allows Target to continue to market their brand in a big way with Kyle Larson, our team and NASCAR – but allows us a little more flexibility to react to opportunities that were coming the team's way," Chip Ganassi Racing president Steve Lauletta told SportsBusiness Journal. "Everybody should benefit from that."

Target previously ended a 27-year relationship with Ganassi's IndyCar program and their NASCAR deal ends after the 2017 season. No announcement has officially been made regarding their future.