Originally posted on foxsports.com on May 30, 2007
Many news outlets trumpeted that Joe Gibbs Racing was not willing to take in Budweiser as a primary sponsor if Junior comes on board at the organization. Gibbs apparently feels that given his faith, the Bud sponsorship would send an inappropriate message. Some commentators and fans think this means the Gibbs-Junior deal is a non-starter and that Junior will land somewhere else.
But is the Junior-Budweiser marriage a permanent deal? Will Junior take Bud with him when he leaves DEI or is there a possibility that Bud will stay at DEI or even go elsewhere? Should Junior try to take Bud with him when he leaves or is he better off without them?
If Junior requires Budweiser as his sponsor, won't that really limit his options? Penske has fielded the Miller Lite team for years. What are the odds that Miller will agree to let its biggest competitor sponsor another car at Penske?
At Richard Childress Racing, Jack Daniels is a primary sponsor of the #07. While this isn't a beer sponsor, it is another alcohol company. Roush has Crown Royal as an associate sponsor (assuming Biffle leaves and Jack dumps someone else). Chip Ganassi has the Coors beer sponsorship. Hendrick doesn't have a primary sponsor associated with beer, but has previously fielded the Budweiser entry.
If you look at Junior's associate sponsors, he is the face of both Menards and Wrangler. With Paul Menard at DEI, it is unlikely his family owned sponsor will bolt with Junior, although they may stay on as an associate, if possible (think Lowe's or Home Depot will let him carry Menards into "their" organizations?)
Junior's options may be limited by the number of cars an owner could field, and whether the team is competitive. And Budweiser is one of (if not the) best sponsor in motorsports, providing money to sponsorships, race promotion and contingency opportunities. However, he shouldn't assume that taking Budweiser with him is the best option for his future.
No comments:
Post a Comment