There are many out there that never could have imagined it happening, yet earlier this week “The King” Richard Petty partnered with Budweiser to help promote their product and responsible drinking. For years, Petty refused to support any endorsements pertaining to beer, however this week’s announcement breaks that trend for the first time.

While Petty will not be directly endorsing Budweiser beer, he will be featured in a campaign promoting responsibility when drinking and an effort to remind drinkers to always have a designated driver. The campaign will feature a print advertisement, billboards, along with t-shirt and sign-making materials that will be distributed to the more than 600 wholesalers around the country.

The ad features a shot of “The King” in his famous sunglasses, cowboy hat and smile with the title reading, “Designated Drivers…Preferred by Kings Everywhere.” Next to Petty’s photo are the words, “The King of the Road and the King of Beers remind you to choose a designated driver. Two out of three American adults have been or used a designated driver. Thanks for making sure everybody gets home safely,” signed with the famous Richard Petty signature.

“Racing is about winning, and we think it’s important to remind fans that everyone wins by choosing a designated driver,” Petty argued. “We’re very excited to work with Anheuser-Busch to help make sure everyone gets home safely on race day and anytime their activities should include alcohol.”
The “King of Beers” is the primary sponsor of Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Dodge for Richard Petty Motorsports, a deal which was in place prior to the merger between Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises this winter.  

Petty addressed the issue of having a beer company sponsor a car carrying his name during the Sprint Media Tour prior to the start of the season:

“We’ve joined an existing team that already had sponsorship," Petty explained. "Budweiser has been really, really good for racing. They’ve put us in every bar in the country. … So they have really been strong, so that’s sort of George’s side of the ball game.

"We bring in the [Nos.] 43 and the 44,” he went on to say. “You won’t see any Budweiser decals or any beer deals on those particular cars because my mother would come back to haunt us all [if she saw that] on our car. This is more of a corporation situation.”  

Now it seems as if the corporate side of things at Richard Petty Motorsports have negated those comments just months ago. Yet, using the popularity of Petty, hopefully more people who choose to drink will make the smart decision and choose a designated driver.

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