Budweiser, a mainstay team sponsor in NASCAR’s top division since the early 1980s, will not be the sponsor on any cars beginning in 2016
Kevin Harvick to switch beer sponsorship from Budweiser to Busch
A different beer brand will be featured on Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 car next season.
Daniel Shirey/Getty Images
The parent company of Budweiser, Anheuser-Busch, is not reducing its NASCAR involvement. Rather, it’s only switching what brand it will feature as the primary sponsor for Kevin Harvick, as its Busch line of beer will sponsor Harvick in 20 of 38 races next season.
Sports Business Journal first reported the change Monday, which SB Nation confirmed with Stewart-Haas Racing.
Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser brand has been a NASCAR team sponsor since 1983. During that tenure Darrell Waltrip, Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott, Ken Schrader, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne and Harvick are among those who’ve driven Budweiser-sponsored cars.
Harvick, the defending Sprint Cup champion, has been backed by Anheuser-Busch since 2011 when he was with Richard Childress Racing. The beer company moved with him to SHR prior to last season.
“NASCAR continues to be a priority platform for our beer portfolio,” Lucas Herscovici, the vice president of consumer connections at Anheuser-Busch, said in a statement. “We are committed to the sport of racing, the fans and the Stewart Haas Racing team we support -- specifically the No. 4 car of Kevin Harvick.
“The Busch brand is well positioned for this partnership given the brand’s storied history with the sport.”
Busch sponsored Cale Yarborough in 1979 and 1980 and was the entitlement sponsor for NASCAR’s No. 2 division (which is now the Xfinity Series) from 1984 to 2007.
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