Junior to reveal sponsors, number next week

[Outdoors Junkie]

By Terry Blount
ESPN.com
(Archive)


Dale Earnhardt Jr. will reveal his 2008 number and sponsors in a news conference at the Dallas Convention Center next Wednesday, Hendrick Motorsports officials announced Thursday.


Sources confirmed earlier that Mountain Dew and the Amp energy drink, both PepsiCo Inc. products, will become two of Earnhardt's primary sponsors next season.

The announcement is coming in Dallas because PepisCo Inc. executives are having an annual conference there next week.

The National Guard, which now sponsors the No. 25 Chevy of Casey Mears for the Hendrick team, is also expected to move to Earnhardt's car in 2008.

The No. 25 is being eliminated and Mears is moving to the No. 5 Hendrick Chevy, which is sponsored by Kellogg's.

Earnhardt and team owner Rick Hendrick have managed to keep the new number a secret, except to say the number 8 will be involved in some fashion.

Hendrick Motorsports has requested trademarks from the U.S. Patent Office for five numbers that include an 8 -- 81, 82, 38, 58 and 28. The number 28 was requested last week, which led to speculation it's the choice, but Earnhardt previously said he liked 81.

Hendrick officials and Earnhardt also will reveal his car's paint scheme for 2008 at the news conference.

[Realtree]

I believe it wil be the #81 or #88 and it will be a joint Pepsi/Mt Dew/National Guard sponsorship with maybe some special schemes with Wrangler and Sony thrown in at specific tracks/races. We will know on Wed for sure.