Earnhardt Sponsor/# announcement

[MacWage]

First this is a "heads-up" for you NASCAR fans. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is to be announcing his new number and sponsor at 1:30 (Eastern time) today and it will be broadcast (according to different stuff I have seen) on SpeedTV and several ESPN channels (not sure which ones).

In the "NASCAR world," this is a VERY Big deal. It is as big as Alonso going to a new team and announcing a new sponsor, for you F1 fans.

The pre-official announcement rumors are that the main sponsor will be Mountain Dew (which makes me happy, as I LOVE that stuff), with AMP energy drink and National Guard taking partial primary sponsorship duties. The "popular" thing in NASCAR right now is rotating primary sponsors-> one takes 1/2 to 2/3 of the races and another or others divide the rest with reach taking a percentage of the season with their logo and colors on the hood/bonnet and quarter panels/rear fenders and their hues over the whole car.

As for number, in NASCAR each car keeps a number all the times, year after year. Since his rookie year around 2000, Jr. has had the 8 Budweiser car. He now will drive for a new team, with different number and sponsor. He did not get to "take" the 8 with him, so he is getting a "new" number. The present number rumor is that it will be 88.

We will know for certain in 1 hour.
(I'll announce here and link to any appropriate picts.)