Amidst Rising Fear of Driver Invisibility, Dale Earnhardt Jr Calls on “Corporate Sponsors” to Take Back Lost Charge

In the age of social media marketing and whatnot, how does a driver transcend into a superstar? Skill, talent, and race craft will certainly get you places, but that alone won’t push one beyond, making him/her an icon, an ambassador for the sport. For that, we need larger-than-life sponsors who will propel drivers into fame through extensive PR campaigns.

And that’s exactly what JR Motorsports co-owner and NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr meant when he said, “Corporate sponsors are really the ones that had the most leverage to be able to get driver into a certain space that they can’t get to.”  

Speaking to NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace on his popular ‘The Kenny Conversation’ podcast, Dale Jr reiterated the importance of having one of these sponsors behind your back and how they can get an individual into the stratosphere amidst the distressing trend of driver individual politics.

Reminiscing about the past, Dale Earnhardt Jr highlights how a corporate sponsor can sway the racing landscape

Dale Earnhardt Jr is arguably one of the best names the sport has produced. The former Hendrick Motorsports driver’s reputation precedes his achievements in NASCAR. The 49-year-old during his glory days became the most popular driver for a whopping 15 consecutive times, making a name for himself in the sport.

As per him, his ties and long association with Budweiser and his talent behind the wheel shot him into fame, getting him into noted TV commercials and campaigns. This pushed the envelope, making the Earnhardt name reverberate once again after the death of his late father, Dale Earnhardt.

However, in recent times, such brand-undertaken promotions have seen a drop, with teams more focused on driver-oriented campaigns. Reflecting on this aspect, Dale Jr said, “Look at my career. I had Budweiser… and Budweiser probably had more access and ability to shoot us into the stratosphere more than any other brand and they did. They took advantage of all of that, sending me to boxing matches, getting me into the Rolling Stone, getting me into all of you know, we did all types of articles in publications that weren’t calling or asking for NASCAR drivers, right? We did MTV crib, multiple times.” 

He then emphasized the significance of having such a great sponsor. “The corporate sponsors are really the ones that had the most leverage to be able to get drivers into a certain space that they can’t get to and they had the most gain from it, the most benefit from it and so we kind of got to get our partners to really use their leverage to really get those drivers out there and put them in places where we’re not getting access to,” said the JRM co-owner.

WATCH THIS STORY: Tears behind the wheel: Dale Earnhardt Jr’s hidden struggles 

Dale Jr reveals the changing trend and how it is impacting the sport

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Much like Jeff Gordon‘s take on individual promotions being more focused on a driver and his/her individual personality than on a team, Dale Jr also shares a similar opinion, but not entirely siding with the HMS veteran. According to Dale Jr, it is high time that sponsors take charge and reinstate their influence rather than letting drivers go loose without any repercussions.

Mentioning the current trend, he said, “Well, right now, all of the PR people are usually employed by the race teams. In 2004 man, or when me and you were racing, the PR people were hired by the sponsor and so when you are a PR person that is employed by Budweiser, there’s a lot of pressure, you better perform.”

The 2-time Daytona winner added,

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Hearing what Dale had to say, do you think we need to turn back time and go to the era where the sponsors had much more control?