NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. yesterday said that he "wants to swap race cars" with IndyCar driver Graham Rahal, but "believes it won't be possible because they drive for rival manufacturers." The AP's Jenna Fryer noted both drivers "are sponsored by Army National Guard." Rahal "reached out to Earnhardt on Twitter" on Sunday proposing they swap cars in an exhibition. The problem is "Earnhardt drives a Chevrolet," and Rahal drives a Honda. Earnhardt: "If I wanted to drive an Indy car, I'm sure I could get with Penske or somebody who owned a Chevy and take a couple laps somewhere. But it would have been fun to do that with Graham because of the relationship with our sponsor and the history of our families" (AP,3/25).
NO BRYANT ON THE BOTTLE: Lakers G Kobe Bryant said his picture will not be on the BodyArmor drink bottle, despite his new ownership stake in the company, because he would rather talk "about the brand and what the brand represents more so than having my picture" on it. Bryant, appearing on CNBC yesterday, said, "At this stage in my career, I really don't have the energy to walk around and do photoshoots and things like that. I'd much rather do something different and challenge myself a little bit more" ("Closing Bell," CNBC, 3/25). Bryant said of him competing in the business arena with Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, among others, "There's plenty of room at the table for all of us. We should really focus on enhancing each other and setting the standard for the next generation of athletes that want to come in at the end of the their careers and be entrepreneurs" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 3/26).
