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Discovery Channel to sponsor driver Kasey Kahne ahead of Shark Week

NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne will sport the Discovery Channel logo on his car at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 ahead of the network’s annual Shark Week

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One summer entertainment staple that, unlike so many sequels, remakes and spinoffs, has not jumped the shark is Shark Week, the Discovery Channel’s annual ratings-gobbling week of shark-centric programming. This year’s edition launches on Sunday with a full lineup of shows ranging from the scientific to the scare-you-out-of-the-water sensationalistic.

There’s even something for NASCAR fans, who usually get no closer to the beach than, well, Daytona. For this Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway in Northern California, driver Kasey Kahne’s No. 5 Chevrolet will sport the logos not only of sponsor Great Clips, but also of Discovery Channel (along with the silhouettes of circling sharks), as the two sponsors will donate $10,000 to shark conservation efforts. Kahne’s laps at Sonoma will mark the culmination of his recent “race” against a bull shark that he tagged on an expedition last year. Kahne’s miles on the racetrack this season are being monitored alongside the shark’s miles in the ocean. Check here for the current standings.

No word on whether the shark will be in Victory Lane on Sunday if he comes out on top.