Panasonic strikes sponsorship deal with Gordon

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) Panasonic Corp. has reached a deal with Hendrick Motorsports that will make the company the primary sponsor for Jeff Gordon's No. 24 team for two races each year for the next three seasons in NASCAR's Sprint Cup series.

Gordon's No. 24 Panasonic Chevrolet will debut this weekend at Sonoma Raceway and will again appear Aug. 31 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Panasonic will be featured as an associate-level partner in all other events. It will mark the first on-car branding for Panasonic since joining Hendrick Motorsports as a technology partner in 2007. The agreement runs through the 2016 season.

Gordon is a four-time NASCAR champion and his 89 victories rank third on the career wins list.