TROY, Mich. -- Kmart announced Friday that it will continue its sponsorship of two Winston Cup teams for the start of the Winston Cup season.

Haas-Carter Motorsports fields a pair of Fords, driven by Joe Nemechek and Todd Bodine, which each carry Kmart sponsorship. The corporation says that the Nos. 26 and 66 will run with Kmart sponsorship for the season-opening Feb. 17 Daytona 500 and Feb. 24 North Carolina 400 at Rockingham.

Bodine will also drive the No. 66 Kmart Ford in the Feb. 10 Bud Shootout at Daytona.

"We are locked and loaded for these three races," said David Karraker, the retailer's director of marketing communications.

But Karraker said the company is offering no forward-looking statements.

Reports had previously indicated that Kmart would withdraw sponsorship for the cars and its presenting sponsorship of the Daytona 500.

"We regret that we will not be able to support our NASCAR Kmart racing program this year as we had hoped," Kmart CEO Charles Conaway said in a statement released Thursday and obtained by Thatsracin.com. "... However, at this critical time in our company's history, we are forced to look at every aspect of our business. Right now, we must concentrate on servicing our customers."

Kmart, which has struggled financially, filed for federal bankruptcy protection last week. Haas-Carter Motorsports was told at that time that Kmart's commitment for 2002 would be honored.

Friday's statement said the company will "continue to evaluate its NASCAR sponsorship as part of its current Chapter 11 restructuring."

In response to Kmart's statement, Haas Carter Motorsports, which owns the cars, said it is evaluating its sponsorship situation.

"NASCAR is so sponsor driven, so obviously they would have to find another sponsor," if Kmart pulled its support, said Mike Mooney, with Cox Marketing Group.

Kmart has sponsored a NASCAR race team for more than five years. Last season, Bodine finished 29th in points. Nemechek, who moved to the team during the offseason from Andy Petree Racing, was 28th.

The No. 3 discount retailer filed for Chapter 11 protection on Jan. 22, following disappointing holiday sales and lower-than expected fourth-quarter earnings.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.