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CUP: Kahne, Bud Make It Official
Written by: Tom Jensen   
09/17/2007 - 07:00 PM
Harrisburg, N.C.
 
Kasey Kahne, Tim Schoen and Tony Ponturo of Anheuser-Busch, Inc., George Gillett and Ray Evernham unveil the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge. (PRNews photo) MORE NASCAR PHOTOS » More Photos

As previously reported here, Gillett Evernham Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne will be sponsored by Budweiser when the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season kicks off in February.

"Budweiser has a long and storied history with NASCAR and some of its most successful drivers. We're excited about Kasey's ability to add to that outstanding lineage," said Tony Ponturo, vice president, global media and sports marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "Along with team owners George Gillett and Ray Evernham, we feel the pieces are in place for the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge to contend for NASCAR Sprint Cup championships for years to come."

Kahne was NASCAR's Rookie of the Year in 2004 after closing out the Cup season 13th in the points standings. In 2006 he won six races and six Budweiser Pole Awards – more wins and poles than any other driver – and qualified for the Chase for the Nextel Cup in just his third year in the Cup Series.

Budweiser had sponsored Dale Earnhardt, Jr. since he began full-time in the Nextel Cup Series in 2000, but will not follow him when he moves to Hendrick Motorsports next season, which opened the doors for Kahne to get Bud backing.

"The fan in me is thrilled because driving for Budweiser
is the kind of opportunity you dream of when you break into this sport. I'm excited about getting behind the wheel of a car that's been driven by some of the best this sport has seen," said Kahne, who has seven wins, 31 top-fives and 46 top-10s in three and a half years on the Cup circuit. "We'll be out to win races and championships, and everyone involved with our organization feels we can do that."

"If Kasey's proven anything in his young career it's that he has the talent to be one of our sport's most consistent winners," said Gillett Evernham Motorsports co-owner Evernham.

Budweiser first sponsored a team on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series circuit in 1983, and in 1998, Budweiser became the "Official Beer of NASCAR," cementing the brand's place among stock car racing's elite sponsors. Budweiser is also the sponsor of the Bud Pole Award in all NASCAR divisions, the title sponsor of the annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, the exclusive beer and malt beverage advertiser of the Daytona 500, and the "Official Beer Sponsor" of Daytona International Speedway, the Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400.

Throughout its history in NASCAR, Budweiser has sponsored cars driven by Terry Labonte, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Ken Schrader, Ricky Craven, Wally Dallenbach and Earnhardt Jr.