Kevin Harvick, he of the 29 Pennzoil car that you might have seen burning up the road last NASCAR season en route to a third place finish in the Sprint Cup Championship, has a new sponsor. The Childress teammate will be connecting with fans this season by showcasing a brand that many people enjoy during the race: Budweiser.
Earlier this week, Harvick was given a first-class tour of the company’s St. Louis brewery by the brewmaster himself, George Reisch. In an exclusive diary he’s keeping for USA Today, Harvick writes how much he enjoyed checking out the facility that’s been making beer for a century and a half. He was impressed by the intricacies and attention to detail that go into brewing beer with such a need for consistency as the self-proclaimed “King of Beers.”
In fact, the whole process reminded him of his experience in racing. A racer’s mechanics work tirelessly during the week to fine tune every instrument that he or she uses to drive, but sometimes things still don’t pan out on race day. There are nearly infinite points of variability, from tire grip to fuel intake to visibility. Likewise, sometimes a brewer can do the same, right things and send beer out with different results. It could be exposed to too much heat, light or a rough ride in transport. Bartenders might pour it improperly. NASCAR drivers and brewing companies are both intensely focused on quality control.
Kevin Harvick will have his hands full staying at the top of the pack this year with the likes of Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, the Busch brothers and more. Let’s hope, no matter how great the synergy between his sponsor, his fans and his car, that he isn’t thinking too much about Budweiser as he pushes 200mph at the Daytona 500 later this month.
This article was written by Wes Griffin of Beer-Universe.com. You can read more of his articles on Beer Education here.
Tags: Budweiser, kevin harvick