Goody's a constant around NASCAR for three decades (cont'd)

"I don't know if you ever went in their manufacturing facility, but they did a lot with very little," said Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway. "It was a streamlined, got-the-job-done type of business. We were the same way, very small in staff, and I think we got the job done. The two of us getting together was a natural.

"If you can have a business relationship with a company and you're able to also say you're great friends, that's just icing on the cake. We had that type of relationship. They were great friends with us. Obviously, they weren't [sponsoring Martinsville races] because they liked us, they were doing it because it got the Goody's name out there."

Even the race sponsorship isn't the full extent of the company's involvement in the sport. Goody's Cool Orange flew its colors on Tony Stewart's Busch Series entry in Atlanta this spring, and will do so again at Texas in the fall. The company has for years sponsored the Goody's Headache Award, and once backed the Goody's Dash Series for subcompact cars.

For all the changes the sport has undergone, Goody's remains the same. They're not going anywhere anytime soon, according to Singer.

"Even though the sport has changed, there are some things that never should change," Singer said. "Iconic people like Richard Petty and what he's meant to the sport over the years will never change, and the [Goody's] connection to Richard won't change. I think fans are really desperate to hang on to the essence of the sport that they came to love.

"You think about Richard Petty. You think about Goody's. You think about race tracks like Martinsville. Goody's has found a way, unlike any other brand, to keep the essence of what the true race fan wanted. Even though NASCAR has to grow and has to change, Goody's is proud to remain one of the sport's constants. I think the fans recognize that, and they appreciate that."