No Bud for Dale Jr: Hendrick confirms Earnhardt, Jr will have new sponsor in 2008
Quote selected text Published July 13th, 2007 in NASCAR News
Hendrick Motorsports announced that long-term contractual commitments to existing sponsors will preclude Budweiser from continuing as primary sponsor of the car driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. when he joins the organization next season.
“We have agreements in place with sponsors for the 2008 Sprint Cup season, which prevent us from having a relationship with Budweiser,” said team owner Rick Hendrick. “Honoring our commitments is important to us. The trade-off is missing an opportunity to bring Budweiser, a marquee brand synonymous with NASCAR and its fans, into the fold.”
On June 13, Earnhardt Jr. signed on to race for Hendrick Motorsports beginning in 2008, but primary sponsorship of his team remains undecided. No timetable has been established for an announcement. “Budweiser has sponsored Dale Jr. for nearly a decade, and we wish him the very best,” said Tony Ponturo, vice president of global media and sports marketing for Anheuser-Busch Inc.
“Budweiser will remain an active sponsor of NASCAR, and we look forward to building upon the legacy of the iconic Budweiser red car in 2008 and beyond.” “To climb into that red Budweiser car each weekend has always been a privilege,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Although Budweiser and I will be unable to continue our partnership beyond this season, I remain committed to driving for Bud the rest of this year, and will continue to make it my beer of choice. I’m a race car driver. All I can do is drive as hard as I can for my fans and sponsorship partners, and give my best effort each weekend.”
[Hendrick PR]
- Hendrick says they have picked Jr’s sponsor
- Dale Earnhardt, Jr to run No 5 in first Hendrick test
- Hendrick wants to buy the #8 from DEI
- Budweiser looks to follow Earnhardt, Jr to Hendrick-UPDATED
- Dale Earnhardt, Jr to drive for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008-UPDATE
Nice!
Oh well, long as there’s a sponsor paying the bills.
First I’m a JR fan,Stewart fan, race fan… basically I appreciate watching a
good race. Having said that, all I see is $$ signs here and more power to them.
If I were Hendrick and JR I would hope a deal would not be reached for the # 8.
TEI gets the blame and more $$$$ouvenir $$$ales for Hendrick / JR. Bud and JR to
me are synonomus and I hate to see the slit..just my opinion.
What about Kyle Busch running for Ginn sponsered by Budweiser? He drives like he’s drank a few anyway.
LOL, drives like he’s drank a few.
What I don’t get is, suposedly rumored that Jr choose NOT to go with Gibbs because he wouldn’t be able to have Bud (being as Gibbs does not allow and alcohol sponsors)And here he is with out bud anyway because Hendricks “agreement”. I think Gibbs might have been a better choice.
Imagine him and Stewart teamed up. It’s all said and done now but all I can say is WHATEVER.
As long Jr has opportunity to have a good car and team, I guess all that matters is that he is still here for me to cheer on.
And that Bratty Busch better not get Bud either. (which he probably will)
That is too bad, I have become so used to seeing that red when he races, but I look forward to new beginnings and to see what the year 2008 will hold for Dale Jr. and his team.
That is to bad, I have become so used to seeing that red when he races, but I look forward to new beginnings and to see what the year 2008 will hold for Dale Jr. and his team.
It’s a shame to see them split, but that’s the name of the game I suppose.
Name of the game and it I think it’s time for a change. Better to get it out of the way now.
Budweiser has a history of sponsoring champion drivers such as DW, Terry Labonte and Bill Elliott. I can’t help but wonder if this is why they choose not to keep JR.
atleast some people respect the fact jr went to hendrick becuz he wants a championship, while some idiots just flatout said he sold out and threw all his merchandise in the trash.
we dont need jr to have bud on his team to drink it and i think that their sales will stay the same. its not a bitter break up, it just has everything to do with legal binding contracts. i cant wait to see his next sponser. go jr ~ go bud
First, let me say this: I am not a fan of Kyle Busch. But did Kyle Busch not have a contract? And is a contract not a commitment? “We have agreements in place with sponsors for the 2008 Sprint Cup season, which prevent us from having a relationship with Budweiser,” said team owner Rick Hendrick. “Honoring our commitments is important to us…” Sounds to me like Hendrick is talkin’ out the side of his neck…honoring a commitment? PPPFFFF
Well, all I can say is I totally agree with “Chevy_Chica” above in wondering about the whole thing with Gibbs now?
If you ask me, I think Jr. should have had a back out clause in his contract with Hendricks just in case something like this happened. I just don’t trust that guy for some reason and the thought of Jr driving with Gordon as a teammate……….ewwwwwwwww…..:-(
Poor JR is all I can say. I think he got screwed….big time!
i agree with justin kyle bush aka shrub needs a ride a ginn needs someone who could win races and put him in tha chase ginn has proven he has the stable of cars to do it. just hope he has a few backup cars.. evertone talks bad about kyle bush but he reminds me of the point holder right now jeff gordon. he wrecked everything and was a kid at one time too.
its not like jrs throwing his merchandise away….look at his father and harvick….goodwrench is becoming a big coolectors item and now with jr. his merchandise will go throught he roof as the last car he drove with bud on it.. jr is moving on…out of the shadow of his step mom that challenged him in the beginng of the season. this is what he chosed to shut her up. i mean Jris doing something with his career with out being asked all the time if hes just there for the publicity or racing on the circut
kinda sucks, i was looking forward to seeing jr in the bud car still and having bud back in the hendrick stables, but whateves. no matter what sponsor it is, you know they’ll be taking care of junior.
as life goes, changes happen. there is no changing
that fact. we all have had changes in ourown lives,
some more major than others but all major to ourselves.
dale jr without bud is just one of those things.
we all know that not having bud as his sponsor isn’t going
to really change all that much. he will still be a great
driver, still will be chasing his first championship title
and bud will still do well in sales.
we should all just drink a toast to their futures and wish them
all the very best. there is not much else to do
……except
———-stock up on those red #8 bud cars while they’re out there,
those are surely going to be collectors items!
best of luck to ya jr….
Well, looks like I’m gonna have to put Budweiser in
my Kellogg’s Corn Flakes every mornin instead of milk.
“poor JR is all I can say. I think he got screwed….big time”!
how in the hell did he get screwed jeana, he went to a team where he thought was his chances of winning a title. jeff and jr will be great teamates so dont be like ewwwww. just aprieciate wat jr makes in decisions
Hey, I have a right to think what I want and I think if he had known he couldn’t have Bud FOR SURE, he MAY have gone with Gibbs. I for sure would have preferred that as I HATE Gordon AND Johnson, and it may have been better for him in the long run.
We will never know, it is just my opinion. I know Bud meant ALOT to him. Of course he will say for the record that it is ok, but I am sure he is major disappointed.
This just my opinion of course, but I do have a right to have it.
He isn’t my major driver anyway, I just have really grown to like him over the past couple of years because of a friend, and because I thought he was getting a raw deal from Teresa.
I wish him the best, I think he is one of the “good guys” in Nascar, unlike some others.
(BTW, why are you ANONYMOUS? What makes you afraid of using your real name?)
I was at Chicago yesterday, all Jr and DEI merch trailers had 1/2 off on all merch EXCEPT collectable cars.
That’s an interesting observation, Freekey1.
Its also interesting that Bud sponsored the 25 car back in the mid nineties.. I wonder if past dealings have Hendrick or Budweiser not wanting the other back…
I also honestly think that Junior knew this would be coming before he signed.
As a Junior fan who is not a fan of Budweiser, I could not be happier!
The only thing I like about Bud is their commercials!
I agree with axel bud didnt resign with hendrick in the late 90s maybe he feels like he got screwed an now its like screw you bud,he doesnt care whos on the car its gonna be a huge deal an alot of money regardless who the sponsor is.
Freekey 1..
Did they really??
AH. I went to Daytona and paid full price for everything of Juniors!!
Shoulda made the announcment sooner :]
Went to the Busch race today, and still the same. 1/2 off at Jr’s and 1/2 off all Jr merch at the DEI trailers.
i went to daytona the week after the 400 and i paid more for my
denny and mikey shirts then i did for my jr shirt lol.
oh well looks like we’ll be seeing another jr driving the #8
budweiser car…martin truex jr