With
the NASCAR Hall of Fame serving as backdrop, reigning NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick unveiled the gold-and-black No. 4
Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS that he will race in the Sept. 6 Southern
500 at Darlington Raceway as part of the track’s The Tradition Returns
weekend, Sept. 4-6.
The
retro-themed, commemorative paint scheme mimics the first can Budweiser
produced, which was gold and featured an eagle flying through the
Anheuser-Busch stylized “A” with five stars above and below the winged crest.
Below the eagle, Budweiser is spelled out in block letters with “Lager Beer” in
script.
The
design is part of an overall throwback weekend at one of NASCAR’s oldest
venues. Built in 1949 by Harold Brasington, Darlington has hosted Sprint Cup
races since 1950, and last year Harvick won the 65th running of the
iconic Southern 500 – one of the crown-jewel races on the 36-race Sprint Cup
schedule.
“It’s
great that Darlington is embracing its rich tradition with the Southern 500’s
return to Labor Day weekend,” said Harvick, who currently leads the Sprint Cup
Series championship standings. “Budweiser saw this as an excellent opportunity
to celebrate its own history by racing the colors and design from the first can
Budweiser ever made. It’s a sharp-looking car and the No. 4 team is ready to get
back to Darlington’s Victory lane.”
“At
Budweiser we are known for celebrating great times, and there have been a lot
of great times through the years at Darlington Raceway – none more so than last
year when Kevin took the Budweiser Chevy to victory lane in the Southern 500,”
said Corey Christanell, director of sports marketing, Anheuser-Busch. “Being
able to celebrate Darlington’s rich heritage is something we’re proud to do
with Kevin, the No. 4 Budweiser team and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing.”
The
very first Southern 500 at Darlington took place on Labor Day in 1950, courtesy
of a deal made between Brasington and NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. More than
80 entrants took part in the inaugural Southern 500, with Johnny Mantz maneuvering
his black Plymouth around the egg-shaped 1.366-mile oval to take the win.
“Darlington
has played such an integral role in the history of our sport, and the Southern
500 is one of the most storied and celebrated events in all of racing,” said
Mike Verlander, vice president of sales and marketing, SHR. “With Kevin and the
No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s team returning to Darlington as both the reigning
race winners and Sprint Cup champions, it made a lot of sense for us to get
involved. We – along with all of our partners at SHR – are proud to be able to
celebrate the history of our sport in an impactful manner.”
Paint
schemes for the full stable of SHR drivers will be revealed in the weeks
leading up to the Southern 500.
I also think it's reminiscent of the Morgan-McClure #4 Kodak driven by the likes of Ernie Irvin, Sterling Marlin, Bobby Hamilton, and SiriusXM's own Mike Skinner. It's a double throwback!!
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