If the nation’s brewers were racers
we’d be calling this the Silly Season, because like the game of musical chairs
that takes place when drivers flit from one team to another, the same thing is
happening in the world of beer. While a lot of this involves NASCAR, the spill-off from the most
recent developments could have a significant impact on drag
racing.
In no particular order, Anheuser-Busch,
makers of Budweiser, Bud Light and Busch Beer, among numerous other brands (A-B
has been snapping up smaller brewers in the last 18 months, including Rolling
Rock and Beck’s, to name just two), announced a while back that they would be
ending their support of NASCAR’s premier support series at the end of the
current season. Their longevity with the series has been such that it’s been known
as the Busch Series for, well, seemingly forever.
Nationwide Insurance has picked up the
series sponsorship for a reported $28M – less than NASCAR was originally
seeking, an indication that their once-unchallenged supremacy in all things
motorsports may not be as dominant as once
thought.
Meanwhile, A-B also announced they were
letting Budweiser’s “Official Beer of NASCAR” contract lapse.
Coors picked that one up
for a cool $20M.
Finally, the move in driver sponsorship from
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to Kasey Khane for 2008 and beyond will probably save the
company an additional $5M to $10M per year.
