It came to light earlier this week that the Europe-based apparel brand Castore will be joining hands with NASCAR giant Hendrick Motorsports to be its official sportswear sponsor, starting 2024. The deal between the entities will last until 2028 and Castore will adorn the promotion’s most successful organization on every race weekend until then.

The partnership also makes it the first time that HMS will be involved in selling replica kits to the fans. These kits will be exactly similar to what the drivers in the Cup Series wear on race days. Despite the hype surrounding the idea, a recent update on this development hasn’t been well received by fans—the replica kits’ price.

Castore and HMS’s overpriced replica kits receive criticism

In a recent post, veteran journalist Adam Stern reported via his “X” handle that the replica kits will have a price tag of $81.95, both online and at the team’s headquarters. While this price isn’t exactly an unfamiliar figure for the fans of other sports like NFL and soccer, as far as NASCAR goes it is a high take. And this is why, fans haven’t been very receptive to it.

Castore’s partnership with HMS comes on the back of the latest investment that it got from top investors across the globe. Having raised $184 million in funding to expand its presence, the company has been given the reins to build on its already rich clientele. Castore already has deals in place with Formula 1 teams Red Bull and McLaren. Outside motorsports, it is in on the table with the soccer teams Aston Villa and Newcastle United. Though the prices of the HMS kits are more or less on a similar scale as the ones of Castore’s other partners, fans still believe that they are on the higher side.

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The $81.95 price tag for Hendrick Motorsports replica kits leaves fans upset

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Reacting to Adam Stern’s post, many comments took it hard on the price markup. Quick to point out one significant lack in the jersey, a fan wrote, “82$ for a shirt that is missing the cup series logo too.” Another couldn’t find the logic behind the price asking, “So basically a replica crew shirt for double the price of an actual crew shirt”.

This comment about how NFL jerseys cost significantly more is backed by the $150+ prices that are quoted on the NFL online shop for replica kits. However, there wasn’t any denying that the HMS kits were actually priced way above what they ought to have. Citing another problem that both fans and teams might have wearing Castore’s products, a fan said, “I’m sure if [Aston] Villa players are soaked after minutes wearing that shit in the English winter then NASCAR fans will LOVE wearing that overpriced junk in Carolina, Alabama, or Florida summers”. 

The words of two more fans that came, “Ah yes, merch for 40 dollars more than at the track” and, “I’ll wait for the $30 version to be listed on eBay in 20 years,” summed up the reactions to the decision by Hendrick Motorsports. Whether or not Castore decides to pull the numbers down on the to-be-listed price will depend highly on how much the larger crowd ends up buying the kits.

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