INDIANAPOLIS -- All good things must come to an end, evident by the more than decade-long partnership between Matt Kenseth and sponsor DeWalt.

Negotiations between the company and race team stalled and the announcement was made that the power toolmaker would leave at the end of this season.

“

It's going to be weird to not be in a yellow and black car with DeWalt on the side.

”

MATT KENSETH

Kenseth, who won the Daytona 500 just five months ago, said it's merely a "sign of the times.

"The tool business obviously is very weak," he said. "When construction is that weak, the tool business is going to be weak and we just couldn't make it all happen ... it's certainly disappointing we couldn't figure out how to make all of that work and keep it all together somehow."

During the partnership, the only sponsor Kenseth has ever had in his Cup Series career, the driver of the No. 17 Ford and his crew have won the 2000 Rookie of the Year, two Pit Crew championships and the '03 series championship, and have qualified for the Chase every year since its inception in '04.

Still, if the funds are not there one of the first areas to face cuts is the sports marketing budget and Kenseth isn't the only one to lose a sponsor this season amidst the economic downturn, but he is the first championship driver to do so.

Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith said together both the team and company found great success but couldn't overcome the economic decline in the construction industry, so DeWalt's decision to leave wasn't a surprise.

Smith said the team is talking to several companies interested in sponsoring the car next season and beyond. (Continued)