Budweiser Drops Decades-Long Sponsorship of NHRA

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor-at-Large

Anheuser-Busch announced this month that after 2009,  Budweiser will no longer be the official beer of the NHRA, citing a need to foster a more youthful image and to use its sponsorship dollars to secure younger drinkers. Heaping further injury on its backhanded implication that NHRA fans are old, Bud is also pulling the plug on Kenny Bernstein Racing, discontinuing its 30-year sponsorship of the Budweiser Top Fuel dragster and thus putting an end to the longest-running motorsports sponsorship in history, which eclipsed Richard Petty’s STP gig by two years. Kenny Bernstein, 6-time NHRA champ and the first to break the 300 mph barrier in a drag car, handed over driving duties to his son Brandon in 2002. Together, the father and son team have scored 85 victories at national events under Budweiser’s sponsorship. They say they’ll continue racing if they can secure a new sponsor, but you have to wonder about the future of motorsports in an economy where big-money sponsors–the financial mainstays of entire racing series, events, teams, and tracks–are pulling out, and where even legendary names find themselves sponsorless. Check out the full press release below the jump.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BUDWEISER SPONSORSHIP OF NHRA, KENNY BERNSTEIN RACING
TO END AT CONCLUSION OF 2009 SEASON

ST. LOUIS (March 16, 2009) – Anheuser-Busch today announced the 2009 season will be Budweiser’s last as official beer sponsor of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and as primary sponsor of Kenny Bernstein Racing and the Budweiser Top Fuel dragster. Budweiser has sponsored the NHRA since the early 1980s and is celebrating its 30th season with Kenny Bernstein Racing. The Budweiser-Bernstein relationship is the longest running in motorsports history, eclipsing Scientifically Treated Petroleum’s (STP) 28-year sponsorship of Richard Petty in NASCAR. Kenny Bernstein Racing, one of the sport’s most consistent winners, aims to continue racing if new sponsorship is secured for 2010.

“The NHRA and Kenny Bernstein Racing have been world class partners and we’re proud of everything we’ve accomplished together,” said Dan McHugh, vice president, Media, Sponsorship and Activation, Anheuser-Busch. “For three decades Budweiser helped grow the sport while its association with the NHRA and Kenny Bernstein provided a unique opportunity to market to adult beer drinkers.”

“NHRA is grateful to Anheuser-Busch for their long association with the sport and Kenny Bernstein Racing,” said Gary Darcy, senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Their 30-year run with the sport is a testament to the return on investment they’ve enjoyed and Kenny Bernstein’s personal commitment and dedication to the brand and its distributors.”

“Budweiser provided us the opportunity to make a career of doing what we love,” said Kenny Bernstein. “We owe a debt of gratitude to all the Anheuser-Busch employees and wholesalers we’ve worked with, as well as the fans and friends who’ve followed and supported us all these years.”

In 30 years together, Budweiser and Kenny Bernstein Racing captured six NHRA titles, including four consecutive Funny Car crowns (1985-1988) and two Top Fuel titles (1996, 2001). Kenny and son Brandon, who took the keys from his father in 2002, amassed 85 national event victories under the Budweiser flag and in 1992, Kenny became the first driver to surpass the 300 mile-per-hour barrier.

“The success and longevity of our relationship with the NHRA and Kenny Bernstein Racing is a tribute to their understanding of the Budweiser brand over the years,” said McHugh. “For his part, Kenny Bernstein has been nothing less than the ultimate ambassador for the brand. We thank him, his team and the NHRA for a great run.”