In Tennessee, Caleb Odom reports NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. yesterday in Nashville unveiled "his special paint scheme" for the April 19 Sprint Cup Food City 500 at Bristol. A crowd of fans "bore witness to a dazzling green and gold car with the brand new Mountain Dew beverage DEWshine on its hood." DEWshine, "a clear, citrus-flavored non-alcoholic soft drink that pays respect to the products’ Tennessee grassroots origin along with NASCAR’s backwoods moonshining heritage," is set to hit the shelves March 23 (Columbia DAILY HERALD, 3/19).
DON'T BELIEVE ME? JUST WATCH: Seiko yesterday named NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and ballet dancer Misty Copeland its new athlete endorsers. They join tennis player Novak Djokovic as the watchmaker's brand ambassadors in sports. Johnson and Copeland both will be featured in the company's Fall '15 ad campaign, with Johnson promoting the Coutura men's collection and Copeland touting the Coutura and Tressia collections for ladies. The deal adds to a growing lifestyle brand portfolio for Johnson, who also endorses retailer GAP Factory. Johnson in an e-mail wrote, "In all of my partnerships I have always looked for established brands who align with both my personality and lifestyle. Brands who produce not only quality products but quality service" (Preston Bounds, Staff Writer).
ALL HOT DOGS GO TO HEAVEN: NBCSPORTS.com's Jerry Bonkowski reported when fans "go to concession stands at Martinsville Speedway next weekend seeking the 'Famous Martinsville Speedway Hot Dog,' for the first time in nearly seven decades the red hots and chili will not be produced by Jesse Jones Southern Style Hot Dogs." Calling it a business decision, the track "has elected to switch to Valleydale Hot Dogs, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, which is a primary sponsor on Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Sprint Cup car of Aric Almirola." Jesse Jones Motorsports Marketing Dir Stephen Drummond said, "This goes back to 1947, it was a handshake agreement. We had no desire to pull the plug, we just didn’t have the funding to compete with an international company" (NBCSPORTS.com, 3/18).
HIGH ENERGY: Chip Ganassi Racing Teams yesterday announced the formation of a two-car Red Bull Global Rallycross team in the Supercar class with new partner Loenbro, an energy-services and construction company that serves clients throughout the Rocky Mountain region and beyond, and drivers Brian Deegan and Steve Arpin. Deegan will pilot the No. 38 RockStar Energy Drink Ford Fiesta ST, with teammate Arpin in the No. 00 Eneos Ford Fiesta ST. Arpin will run the full 12-race calendar, with Deegan competing in seven races (CGRT).
