Fans Look Back at Why Kevin Harvick Ditched Budweiser and Gave NASCAR a Beer Revamp in 2016

The camaraderie between Budweiser and NASCAR is no secret. Despite the brand’s popularity, drivers haven’t been afraid of going away from it as a sponsor. Back when Kevin Harvick raced in NASCAR, the star driver made a similar move where he ditched Budweiser and instead embraced Busch Light. This dates back to the year 2016 and while it had come as a shocker for all, nobody still quite knows what happened back then. 

With Dale Jr’s #8 Bud coming back to the track, fans cannot help but reminisce about what might have been the probable reasons behind this change. Although the partnership did last quite long till the year 2023, there are still unanswered questions about why it happened. 

In 2016, Anheuser-Busch announced their switch in branding from Budweiser to Busch. To add to that, Anheuser-Busch had also announced that they would be the primary sponsor for 20 out of 38 races that Harvick was supposed to run for. While Budweiser had been associated with Harvick since 2011, this change in the branding was not what one had anticipated. 

The vice president for Anheuser-Busch, Lucas Herscovice explained, “NASCAR continues to be a priority platform for our beer portfolio. We will be shifting our brand equity in [Kevin] Harvick’s car and team from Budweiser to our Busch beer portfolio for the 2016 NASCAR season”. The report did not mention any clear reason why this change was being made.

However, sources mentioned that Anheuser-Busch conducted a thorough reassessment of its NASCAR partnerships. It divulged that some of the partnerships were approaching renewal. These agreements had included an annual investment of approximately $11 to $13 million in Kevin Harvick‘s car, as well as sponsorship of the two 150-mile qualifying races for the Daytona 500. 

A lot of NASCAR fans expected Busch Light had make a comeback to the series with this announcement. Before this, for years, they were the title sponsors for the current Xfinity Series. Welcoming this move, the SHR team executive Vice President had mentioned, “Anheuser-Busch, and specifically the Budweiser team, has been a valuable team partner for the No. 4 car driven by Kevin Harvick,”. He further added, “We’ve had tremendous successes with their logo donning our car and look for that to continue as we close out the 2015 racing season. With that said, we are excited to celebrate the Busch brand not only returning to NASCAR but returning to the sport on our team.” 

Harvick’s transition from Budweiser to Busch Light marked a significant shift in NASCAR sponsorship dynamics. It had left fans intrigued by the strategic motives behind it and searching answers behind what might have been the “real reason”. 

Fans speculate the reason behind Kevin Harvick’s shift from Budweiser to Busch Light 

What happened in 2016 has been brought again to the forefront and this time fans have poured in their notion of what might be the correct answer! To date, the correct reason is not known, and yet fans have not botched down to express what they feel. 

One fan is quite certain that this is nothing but a marketing strategy as often undertaken by brands and drivers. Usually, this becomes more prominent when it concerns financial areas and switching seems to be the most favorable decision. A similar instance happened when Molson Coors changed their branding from Miller Lite to Keystone. The comment read, “Just a marketing decision by ABI, apparently they thought that it made more sense to focus on the budget category with the NASCAR crowd.  Molson-Coors made the same call when they switched from Miller Lite to Keystone on Brad’s car”. Essentially, this means while the parent company owning Anheuser Busch and Budweiser is the same, they simply want a different name on the car to bring it more recognitiion.

Similarly, another fan thinks that Budweiser has reached a point where one need not market it anymore. Busch on the other hand needed that exposure so that NASCAR could mint money out of the collaboration. Citing the same, a fan said, “Bud sells itself. A-B decided to push the Busch brand because putting Bud on a car was no longer needed to sell. Busch gained a ton of momentum behind this in the NASCAR world. Busch is what they sell at Phoenix when I go”.  Harping on the same emotion, one cannot help but notice how well the Busch brand has improved since that collaboration. It is one of the most popular beers and often in highest demand by fans. Throwing light on this demand, a fan said, “Trying to build the Busch brand back up. And so far it seems to have worked masterfully”. 

On the contrary, a fan was seen missing the memories that the classic Budweiser red car brought in. After all, anyone who loves watching NASCAR would be able to resonate with the same. It also sparked the notion that fans were looking forward to seeing Ross Chastain in the classic Red Budweiser design. The comment read, “I do really miss the Bud car. Seeing Ross in Budweiser red would be great”. 

And finally, another fan seemed to be quite understanding of the entire change and resonated the same with a practical judgment. The comment read, “What is weird about it? We see brands change out all the time when a company decides they can get a better return on investment”. Given that both Harvick and the Busch Light might have been able to fare better financially, this seemed to be the right decision. Ultimately, whether it was a strategic marketing move, a shift in branding priorities, or simply a matter of financial prudence, the decision continues to spark debates among fans, underscoring the enduring passion and nostalgia that NASCAR sponsorships evoke.