No Loyalty to Old Sponsors for Dale's Son

Did any of you good folks catch the New Hampshire pre-race interview on ESPN where that young fellow who used to drive that red Budweiser sponsored #8 Cup car out of DEI and now drives a Mountain Dew #88 for Mr. Hendrick allow as to how sometimes when a Diet Dew won't quench his thirst he grabs a cold SCHLITZ?!

I never heard his dad say he'd be comfortable in Levis or those Texas Jeans The King used to advertise. I thought the comment was bush league.

Nope, it was bush league. He can darn well afford to drink whatever he wants, but if he's gonna talk beer during an interview, might as well "pop" a sponsor such as Bud (his old one) or Coors, a Series sponsor. Just good business sense.

This might make a good game, though. The other Junior had Carling, Busch, and Budweiser as sponsors. Did he have any other beer sponsors?

The thought just occurred to me that in 1974, Junie Bradshaw of Richmond (a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and later a judge who owned Late Model Sportsman cars) had to introduce and have passed in the Virginia General Assembly a special bill allowing an exception to Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (think driver Worth McMillion) rules to allow the Carling beer sponsorship on Junior Johnson's cars at Richmond and Martinsville. Richmond judge, John Dodson also owned Late Model Sportsman cars.

Smoke has said he likes Schlitz too, maybe a new sponsor for him? We shall see. But yeah Dale Jr could drink something alot better then that. Personally I would go with a Yuengling or Genny Cream Ale but that's just me.

Got to remember also Dale Earnhardt Jr drove a Coca Cola car in Japan and was part of that whole Coca Cola family of drivers deal. Then signs with MT Dew years later. Amazing how things change. I still have this Coke bottle too.

Maybe he's working on a Schlitz sponsorship...and that was a test to see if it spiked sales...lol.

Agreed re: Smoke's preference. A friend of mine who is a big Stewart fan somehow landed the opportunity to be at a party in his condo in Indy. Said the refrigerator was PACKED with Schlitz. Tony and Jr. are pretty good buds, so it doesn't surprise me perhaps that Jr. could be persuaded to imbibe in it - especially since the Bud days are behind him.

Schlitz is owned by Pabst Brewing, and its one of the 5 brands the new owners are trying to expand along with PBR, Colt 45, Old Milwaukee, and Lone Star. With Tony's sponsorship needs, maybe he can indeed land some Schlitz dollars + a personal services deal for Jr.

But, I think the reference to the brew in the context of Jr's interview was simply to have a PG-13 edgy name for his fantasy football team: Schlitz Happens.

While I don't think Jr owes any loyalty to the sponsor from his DEI days, Bud isn't the first legacy sponsor he has moved on from.

Is it blasphemy that he now pitches for Mountain Dew vs. the original southern citrus drink: SunDrop?

Well I CAN tell you a few years ago when Kasey Kahne was driving the Budweiser car there was a bet between Kahne's team and Dale Jr's team at Daytona Speedweeks, and the bet was lost by Kahne, and that the bet was paid in cases of Budweiser.

I can also tell you Smoke emerged from the driver's meeting at Atlanta wearing a "retro" Schlitz t-shirt and jeans, whatever that means.

On the Dale Sr. front- he was sponsored by Miller American at some point...at least the driver's patches said so circa 1987. So I don't read too much into "brand loyalty." I also see a lot of teams around the hauler indulging in packs of M&Ms, undoubtedly from the 18 team's hauler. However, I did witness a 42 team crewman a couple of years go to a neighboring cooler, pull a Coke out of it, and rip the label off it before making off with it...so at least he was conscious of the consequences of a team semi-sponsored by Pepsi drinking the competition's soft drink.

A little Schlitz and Stroh's trivia:

In 1970, the now defunct Joseph A. Schlitz Brewing Company built the nations then largest brewery, encompassing over 1Million square feet. It had a capacity of 17,000 barrels a day and 4.4 million barrels a year.

That brewery was in Winston-Salem, NC. It was the landmark Richard Childress used in summer of 1981 to get me from Greensboro, NC to his then tiny shop to finalize the move of Dale Earnhardt and Wrangler to Richard's team for the final 11 races of 1981. The brewery was located on U.S. 52, just south of Winston-Salem at 4791 Schlitz Avenue, a quick 9 mile ride to RCR. Perhaps, subconsciously, Dale Jr. remembers passing this behemoth with the huge Schlitz can and logos traveling with his dad to visit Dale Senior's employer. The military school Dale, Jr. and Kelley attended near the Piedmont Triad Airport wasn't too far from the world's largest brewery, either.

Ironically, Stroh bought out Schlitz on June 10, 1982 and the huge Schlitz logos on the building eventually turned to Sthoh's. In fact, when Jack Roush moved south and opened his shop for Mark Martin in the late 80s in Liberty, NC, less than an hour's drive from the brewery, it was Stroh Light that would adorn Mark's first Roush cars.

Very ironic that the brewery in Childress' backyard wound up sponsoring his competitor.

Here's a picture of what the then world's largest brewery built by Schlitz in Winston-Salem looked like a year ago, all beer logos stripped off the facade, in this ad for industrial buildings for sale in the Piedmont Triad area.

I'm sure our RR members around Winston-Salem remember riding by this building a million times going up and down U.S. 52.

And alas, in 1980 F&M Schaefer Brewing Company sold to Stroh Brewing Co - 2 years before Stroh bought Schlitz.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_UVPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FwMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6972%2C4071510

Then in 1999, Stroh and its acquired brands were sold to Pabst Brewing who still owns them today.

And if Jr were to get a sponsorship deal from Schlitz, he'd have somewhat of an indirect family relationship to the past with the brand. Tommy Houston - the father of Jr's step-mother, Teresa Earnhardt's uncle - once raced with Schlitz sponsorship.

Source: Kent Benfield

Source: Kent Benfield

Source: Kenny Lang

And because Jr has experience with racing a red car in his Bud days, maybe he can tie the past of his A-B sponsorship with future Schlitz funding by replicating Rick Baldwin's Schlitz scheme from his Buddy Arrington-owned Mopar.

The use of the 04 number could be a nice touch for Jr as well - as in "Well, Dale Jr is o'fer victories again this season folks." haha

Source: J.C. Hayes

A wee correction - Tommy Houston is Teresa's uncle. Her dad, Hal, who used to be a familiar sight in the RCR pits, passed in Feb. 2011.

DOH! You are correct. Got trigger happy trying to be a thread-hog again. haha

And maybe legendary Nashville songwriter Don Schlitz could pen a beer-themed song for Dale Jr's fantasy football league. He certainly can spin 'em with hits such as The Gambler by Kenny Rogers, Stand a Little Rain by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and 40 Hour Week by Alabama, On The Other Hand by Randy Travis.

Maybe The Wrangler?, 40 More Losses?, Stand A Little Losing? or On To Another Crew Chief? OK, OK, I get it - I'll stop piling on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Schlitz

LOL!

I think ole Clayborne B. Gwyn of Marion, Virginia can top them all. If you ever followed the NASCAR Grand Touring / Grand American circuit, you'll recall him as the C.B. Gwyn who ran 42 GT/Grand America races between 1968-1971 in his Mercury Cougars, along with those of Wayne Andrews and the Bud Moore Cougars.

Funny, but C.B.'s Cougars were often unsponsored, such as the photo below:

On other occasions, he might run a beer brand on the car or the name of his company. See, CB operated Gwyn Distributing in Marion, Virginia and distributed all sorts of beer brands.

After he stopped driving on the Grand American circuit, CB owned NASCAR Late Model Sportsman and Busch Series cars for LD Ottinger until the team was sold to Ron Parker, owner of Detroit Gasket and Indian Head Industries which had a manufacturing plant in Newport, Tennessee.

Here's a pic of LD in a CB Gwyn owned car sporting Falstaff as sponsor:

CB is still listed as head honcho of Gwyn Distributing and here are the brands he distributes - take yer pick:

Gwyn Distributing Co., Inc.
P.O. Box 110
Marion, VA 24354
p. 276-783-8138

Breweries Association
CCM Brands, Diageo-Guinness USA, Flying Dog Brewery, Grolsch, InBev USA, Merchant du Vin, Miller (Selected Brands), Sapporo USA Inc., Scottish & Newcastle Importers PLC, Spaten Brewery

Breweries Brands
Aldaris Dark Herog Jan Ozujsko Pivo
Aldaris Light Hoegaarden Paikese Limps
Aldaris Strong Horn Dog Permskoye Gubernskoye
Alexander Keith's Hougaerdse Das Piedboeuf
Alma-Ata Ice Beer Pilzene
Altbairisch Dunkel Imperial Pinkus Organic Hefeweizen
Antarctica In-Heat Wheat Hefeweizen Pinkus Organic Munster Alt
Apiitis Strong Irbis Pinkus Organic Ur Pils
Apinitis Irish Red Pommac
Aqua Fratelli Vita Jahrhundert Porteris
Astika Jansen sem Alcool Presidendi 10
BagBier Jansen sem Alcool Preta Presidendi 8
Baisha Jelen Piva Presidendi Pilsner
Baltika Jinling Quest Tripel Ale
Bass Jinlongquan Red Shiliang
Beamish John Smith's Rifey
Beamish Irish Stout John Smith's Bitter Road Dog Scottish Porter
Beamish Red Irish Ale John Smith's Cask Rochefort 10
Beamish Stout John Smith's Extra Cold Rochefort 6
Belle-Vue John Smith's Extra Smooth Rochefort 8
Bergenbier John Smith's Magnet Rock
Biekirch Joi Rogan
Blond Judas Safier
Blond Ice Julius Sagres
Boddington's Jupiler Sagres Bohemia
Bohemia K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale Sagres Preta
Boomerang Kamenitza Sagres Zer0%
Borostyan Kanterbrau Saku Gin Long Drink
Borsodi Sor Karjala Saku Hele
Bozicno Kingfisher Saku Kali
Brahma Kiss Cider Saku On Ice
Brau Weisse KK Saku Original
Brugs Klinskoye Saku Porter
Bud Kokanee Saku Tume
Bud Light Kronenbourg Samuel Smith Imperial Stout
Budweiser Kronenbourg 1664 Samuel Smith India Ale
Cafri Kronenbourg 2.6 Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale
Caracu Kronenbourg Blanc Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout
Carlsberg Kronenbourg Panache Samuel Smith Pale Ale
Cass Kronenbourg Premier Cru Samuel Smith Pure Lager
Castlemaine XXXX Kronenbourg Pur Malt Samuel Smith Taddy Porter
Celebrator Doppelbock La Becasse Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale
Chelyabinskoe Dark La Reserve de Maitre Kanter San Miguel
Chelyabinskoe Light Labatt Blue Sandpiper
Chelyabinskoe Unfiltered Labatt Blue Light Santai
Chernigivske Labatt Ice Sapporo Light
Ciney Lapin Kulta Sapporo Premium
Collaborator Dopplebock Lauku Kvass Sapporo Reserve
Cool Grape Liber Scrumpy Jack
Courage Best Lindemans Cassis Shake Dog IPA
Courage Director's Bitter Lindemans Framoise Sinebrychoff Gin
Cristal Lindemans Gueuze Cuvee Rene Slavnoye
Cruzeiro com gas Lindemans Kriek Spaten
Cruzerio Lindemans Peche Spaten Oktoberfest Beer
Derbes Lindemans Pomme Spaten Optimator
Diebels Lowenbrau Spaten Premium Lager
Dimix Luso Spirit
Doggie Style Pale Ale Luso Fresh St. Pauli Girl
Dogtoberfest Luso Fresh Goiabo/Lima Sukita
Dommelsch Luso Fresh Limao Taller
Double Deer Maes Taurus
Double Pale Maes Nature Tennent's
Erikois Marathon Tire Bite Golden Ale
Euro Extra Strong McEwan's 70 Tolstiak
Euro Strong McEwan's 80 Tomislav
Force 4 McEwan's Best Scotch Tourtel
Foster's McEwan's Export Traquair
Foster's Ice Melbourn Apricot Tritolstyaka
Foster's Lager Melbourn Cherry Tuborg Christmas Brew
Foster's Superchilled Melbourn Strawberry Tuborg Gold
Franziskaner weissbier Miller Genuine Draft Tuborg Green
Glide Ratskeller Montavit Ur-Weisse
Gold Mort Subite Uralsky Master Classic
Golden Cap Mousel Uralsky Master Light
Gonzo Porter Murphy's Uralsky Master Strong
Green's Discovery Amber Ale Mythos Uralsky Master Unfiltered
Green's Endeavor Dubble Ale Nenskoye Triumph Urho
Grimbergen Nevskoye Classic Vieux Temps
Grimbergen Blonde Nevskoye ICE Watneys
Grimbergen Double Nevskoye Kronverk Wel Scotch
Guinness Draught Nevskoye Light Westmalle Dubbel
Guinness Extra Stout Nevskoye Lite Westmalle Tripel
Haake-Beck Nevskoye Original White Lightning
Hapkin Newcastle Brown Ale Wild Dog Double Pale Ale
Hard Rock Newcastle Exhibition Wilfort
Hartwall Fenix Health Drinks Nik Cool Woodpecker
Hartwall Jaffa Nik Gold Woody Creek White
Hartwall Limonadi Nikolay Sinebrychoff Yali
Hartwall Looney Tunes Niksicko Pivo Yantar
Hartwall Novelle Noroc Yarpivo
Hartwall Novelle Friss OB Zatec Bright Lager
Hartwall Original Gin Long Drink Oktober Fest-Marzen Zelta
Hartwall Upcider Old Scratch Amber Lager Zhujiang
Hartwall Vichy Original Oranjeboom Zingaro
Hasseroder Orval Trappist Ale Zizhulin
Heller Hound Maibock Otto

Why heck, Don is a native of Durham, NC.... he ought to mosey over to Occoneechee this weekend!

Historical Note:

The #04 Gwyn Distributing 1968 Mercury Cougar driven by C.B. Gwyn started 15th and finished 24th, one position behind 23rd place Richard Childress in the infamous inaugural Talladega 500 in 1969.

Mr. Schlitz would really have to have his game face on to top ole Hank, Sr. and his lyrics:

When it came to singing, a lot of folks didn't like a long haired Kyle trying his hand at it, with much assistance from Don Light in Nashville. No beer here, but I really like KP's tribute to his dad:

That's a good call BB. For all we know, he may have Laughing Clown malt liquor on tap.

I'd say all this is a wealth of knowledge for a young, 16 -year old! lol

Hey, how did you by-pass the age verification portion of this site?

You could say "I know an important guy on here"! lol

Oh, yeah... I was there when he was trying both... concert on Sat. night and race on Sunday. He is a very talented singer and has/had a heck of a guitar collection.