How NASCAR’s “Biggest Sponsor” Left Rick Hendrick to Gamble on Unproven Dale Jr

Having a powerful sponsor in NASCAR is one of the keys to success. Being backed up by someone like Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Budweiser and Busch beers, teams get a lot of funding and exposure, which is key to finding a good spot in the series championship. While Anheuser-Busch was reconsidering its sponsorship with HMS, they decided to exit the team and continue with Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the driver left for his own venture.

Dale Jr.’s team was by no means in a bigger position than HMS in NASCAR; however, the sponsors believed that being the legacy of the late Dale Earnhardt Sr., his son had something big coming for him. Although Junior did not win a Cup Series title, he today stands as one of the most popular motorsport drivers to ever live. So when Steve Uline, the sports marketing executive for Anheuser-Busch, came down to the Dale Jr. Download podcast, it was only fair that he revealed the story to Kelley Earnhardt Miller.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. bags Budweiser with his charm

The story kicks off with a bit of frustration. As the sponsor for Hendrick Motorsport’s third car in 1998, the team wasn’t delivering results compared to their championship-winning cars. “We were the third car. I think we were the 25 cars there. We had Kenny Schrader, who we loved because he was a St. Louis guy,” recalls Steve Uline, the sports marketing executive for Anheuser-Busch. But despite a strong driver lineup, including Schrader and Ricky Craven, things just weren’t clicking. “We just weren’t having the success,” Uline admits.

At this point, the sponsorship team began to reevaluate. They looked at all sorts of drivers—top 10 contenders, under-funded teams with potential, and up-and-coming stars. That’s when they set their sights on Dale Jr., even though he had yet to win a Busch Series race. “Dale Jr. had not won a Busch Series race yet, you know. And, obviously, we had a relationship with your father through Busch beer,” Uline explains on the Dale Jr. Download. This connection through Junior’s legendary father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., sparked interest.

The timing felt right to make a change. “We’re big in the sport, probably the biggest, and certainly, we’ve got a big presence in NASCAR,” Uline recalls. But every week, they watched Rusty Wallace dominate while they struggled with their own driver lineup. “Rusty’s kicking our butt in the two cars,” Uline confesses, admitting that fierce competition in the beer world—especially with Miller—pushed them to make a move. “We didn’t want Miller beating us at anything,” he says, which fueled their desire to find a fresh face who could bring a new spark.

And that fresh face turned out to be Dale Jr. The deal was set in motion with a trip to Hendrick Motorsports, where Uline and Mike Hargrave, who oversaw motorsports for Anheuser-Busch, met with Rick Hendrick’s brother, John, to discuss a potential shift. “We decided to go after Junior… I flew down there with Mike Hargrave, who oversaw motorsports for us,” Uline remembers, setting the stage for one of the biggest sponsorship shifts in NASCAR history. However, that doesn’t come close to the extent that Dale Jr. has reached today when it comes to bringing in money for NASCAR.

Dale Jr. reveals a soundtrack update for the NASCAR video game

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently gave fans an inside look at the soundtrack for the upcoming NASCAR video game, which is being developed by iRacing. On the Dale Jr. Download, he shared that his long-time friend Steve Meyers at iRacing reached out to him for some help in putting together a killer playlist for the game. “One of the things that’s really important, I think, is trying to create a soundtrack,” Dale Jr. said. He even got a few drivers involved to pitch some songs, though he’s keeping their picks a secret for now. But it’s clear he’s all in on making it a soundtrack that fans will love.

To really get the ball rolling, Dale Jr. took his search for the perfect songs to social media. “I tweeted about it. I said, ‘Hey, what songs are a must?’” he said, and before long, the NASCAR Reddit community jumped on it. The thread quickly turned into a Molly Hatchet fan club, with the song “Flirting with Disaster” getting lots of love. “It was funny seeing the list of songs people suggested,” Dale Jr. said.

But it’s not all about picking songs—Dale’s also learning the ins and outs of getting the rights to music. “It’s not a simple situation,” he admitted. “You’ve got to reach out to the people who own the license, and sometimes it’s multiple people.” The game, expected to drop in the fall of 2025, will give fans an authentic NASCAR experience, and from the sound of it, the soundtrack is going to be a major part of that vibe.

Does this make you want the NASCAR game even more? Share your thoughts in the comment below.