Dale Jr. sponsorship news

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Ward Burton

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ESPN.com's sources say Budweiser knows it won't be on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s cars next year at Hendrick Motorsports, and that it looks like some sort of sponsorship deal with a Pepsi product (or products) is likely for him. Terry Blount and David Newton got further down the road with sources than I have. Nothing they wrote conflicts with what I've been trying to nail down. But all anybody with official ties to Pepsi or Budweiser or the teams will say for the record is they don't comment on speculation. One source I've trusted for a long time tells me that AMP, an energy drink Pepsi markets under the Mountain Dew umbrella, will factor in the deal for Earnhardt Jr. at Hendrick. Jeff Gordon and the Hendrick folks have a deal with Pepsi that stretches through 2010. Pepsi also is ending its contracts with International Speedway Corp. One reason could be that money's going into the Hendrick-Earnhardt Jr. basket.(Charlotte Observer)(6-12-2007)

UPDATE and Mountain Dew: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports are expected to announce later this month Pepisco Inc. products Mountain Dew and Amp energy drink are his primary sponsors for next season, sources confirmed Sunday.(ESPN.com)(9-3-2007)

UPDATE 2: on ESPN2's NASCAR Now Monday night, it was reported that Mountain/AMP would probably be 55% of the races and National Guard would be 45% of the races for Dale Earnhardt Jr. There would be no problem with Navy being the sponsor of Dale Jr's #88 Busch team, but that he would not be able to drive it.(9-4-2007)
 
Dale Junior will 'Do The Dew' in 2008: Announcement could come at Richmond
By Greg Engle, Editor, Cup Scene Daily

FONTANA, Calif. -- Dale Earnhardt Junior will ‘Do the Dew’ in 2008.

Sources say that officials with Hendrick Motorsports and PepsiCo Incorporated have plans to announce at Richmond this week that Dale Earnhardt Junior will drive the No. 5 Chevy sponsored by Pepsi’s Mountain Dew and AMP energy drink brands in 2008. The source pointed out that the team may make the last minute decision to withhold the announcement until just after the Richmond race due to Earnhardt's position in the points and the possibility of missing the Chase.

The deal was finalized during the July off week for the Nextel Cup series.

The Mountain Dew brand became famous in NASCAR when it was the primary sponsor for team owner Junior Johnson with driver Darrell Waltrip in 1981-1982. Pepsi branded the car as the ‘Pepsi Challenger’ in1983. Budweiser took over a primary sponsor in 1984.

PepsiCo recently pulled out of its sponsorship as the ‘official’ drink at International Speedway Corporation tracks. The pull out from ISC seems to be part of a plan by PepsiCo to refocus their efforts on NASCAR’s most popular driver.

Pepsi became involved with Hendrick Motorsports in the 1993’s with driver Jeff Gordon. They are currently under contract with Hendrick though 2010.

The organization ran a ‘retro’ Mountain Dew paint scheme in the Busch Series for driver Brian Vickers twice in 2006.

Sources say the deal may also include a duel sponsorship with the National Guard, which will move from the No. 25 of Casey Mears. Mears will take over the Kellogg’s sponsorship.
 
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