DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Nature's Bakery says it won't let Stewart-Haas Racing ''bully us'' with a $31 million breach-of-contract lawsuit tied to a sponsorship dispute involving driver Danica Patrick.
The Nevada-based food company, one of the smallest primary sponsors in NASCAR, severed its sponsorship agreement with SHR and Patrick after the first year of a three-year deal. SHR responded with a scathing lawsuit in which it accused Nature's Bakery of having cash-flow issues and concocting reasons for its decision to pull out.
Nature's Bakery CEO Kelly Allin says the company was ''thrown off by SHR's lawsuit'' and had plans to meet in Charlotte, North Carolina, days before the lawsuit was filed.
Allen says SHR ''took advantage'' of the company and that Nature's Bakery will defend itself in court.
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