Mountain Dew and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have teamed with Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” for a promotion that allows fans to determine which of four “Dark Knight”-inspired paint schematics will appear on Earnhardt’s No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet for the June 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 400 at Michigan Int'l Speedway. Earnhardt will also get a signature “Dark Knight” custom fire suit. The winning paint scheme and Earnhardt's fire suit will both officially debut on June 15 at MIS. Fan voting for the car's paint scheme will be open through May 22, and Earnhardt will unveil the winning design during Hendrick Motorsports Fan Fest on May 25 (PepsiCo).
GRAB SOME BUDS: Chip Ganassi Racing yesterday announced a partnership with Budweiser that will see the brewer’s logo on Graham Rahal’s No. 38 Honda during the month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Budweiser will have billboards throughout Indianapolis to activate the partnership, as well as point of sale and personal appearances by Rahal over the course of the month (Chip Ganassi Racing).
NEW FACE, SAME PLACE: In Indianapolis, Phillip Wilson notes IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe, who took over Danica Patrick’s Go Daddy car in March, is currently "third in Izod IndyCar Series points entering the Indianapolis 500." Hinchcliffe is also “taking on Patrick in an online contest.” The “Hinch For Hompage” campaign aims to “supplant Patrick as face of the GoDaddy.com brand.” There will be new Go Daddy commercials "on race day, including one with Hinchcliffe and Patrick.” Hinchcliffe offered “no details other than this: He keeps his clothes on.” Many of Patrick’s ads “have been provocative” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 5/17).
BREAKING BARRIERS: USA TODAY’s Gary Graves notes Joe Gibbs Racing driver Darrell Wallace Jr. is “about to become the third African American to drive in NASCAR’s second-tier series when he starts Sunday’s Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 at Iowa Speedway.” Wallace is "aware that the road to the Sprint Cup ... could be long and arduous, especially with limited sponsorships available since the economic downturn.” Team Owner Joe Gibbs thinks Wallace “has the patience to wait it out and the talent to attract sponsors.” Gibbs: “I think he’s coming up the right way. Complicating this is sponsorship, but I’m hopeful that someone will see the opportunity, because this could be a huge breakthrough for this sport” (USA TODAY, 5/17).
