A-B unveiled a new, 16-ounce Budweiser commemorative
can yesterday featuring the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-driven No. 8
Chevrolet. This marks the first time that a racecar will be
featured on a Budweiser can. Budweiser Brand Manager Jim
Sprick said that A-B anticipates 100 million of the special
cans to hit the marketplace. Earnhardt Jr., on the new can:
"It's such a big deal, they had to put it on a 16-ouncer."
Earnhardt Jr., who makes his Winston Cup debut in Sunday's
Coca-Cola 600 at LMS, said that he plans on running in four
more Winston Cup races this season, including the September
11 event at Richmond Int'l Speedway and the November 21
event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as well as races at both MI
Speedway and NH Int'l Speedway. He plans on running a full
Winston Cup schedule in '99 and has "no plans" to run in
next year's BGN Series. Sprick told THE DAILY that Sunday's
race will mark the first time that A-B has had the primary
sponsorship of two cars in the same race, as Wally
Dallenbach will drive the No. 25 Budweiser Chevrolet.
Sprick said that Budweiser has not made any decisions
regarding a 2000 sponsorship of Dallenbach, whose deal with
A-B expires at the end of this season (THE DAILY).
A RIVALRY? Asked about the media hype surrounding a
possible rivalry with Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt Jr. said, "I
wonder what he thinks. I really do. ... I want him to know
that I don't entice [the hype] or egg it on" (THE DAILY).
