Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver, started with the rebranding of his corporate image by announcing his new number and his new sponsor.
Earnhardt officially ditched his long time sponsor Budweiser Wednesday by announcing new sponsorship deals. Mountain Dew’s Amp energy drink, a Pepsi product, and the National Guard will adorn Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet. The new sponsors mark a shift away from Earnhardt’s party boy image to one of corporate pitchman.
When it was announced that Budweiser would not be following Earnhardt from DEI to Hendick Motorsports, 
corporations started to ring Rick Hendrick’s phone off the wall. But Hendrick never looked outside of his existing sponsors and began working out new deals with Pepsi and the Guard.
Those new sponsors will adorn a new car number for Earnhardt, who has driven the No. 8 car since breaking into NASCAR in 2000. Dale Jr. wanted to take the No. 8 with him from DEI but his stepmother Theresa Earnhardt refused to give up her rights to it. So now he really gets to keep it in the family as he will drive the No. 88 car once driven by his grandfather Ralph Earnhardt.
HMS got the 88 from Robert Yates Racing who asked NASCAR to transfer the number to Hendrick.
“Ralph Earnhardt drove the No. 88 Olds in 1957 and because of this number’s history with the Earnhardt family, I felt car No. 88 should continue with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.,” Robert Yates said in a statement.
In addition to the new sponsors, Earnhardt recently signed personal services contracts with Adidas and Sony and on Tuesday he unveiled a personally designed candybar.
Earnhardt’s down to earth personality attracts sponsors and the fact that he is a regular Mountain Dew drinker made for the perfect fit.
“People understand what our model has been since we’ve started, that we’d be ourselves,” Earnhardt said. “You’ve had a chance to get to know me and you know how I do things. They knew coming in that I like being myself, and being honest and telling the truth.”The truth is hard to hide from, so it’s easier just to tell it and be honest with your fans and be honest with yourself. I think that they’re comfortable with that, and I’ll be comfortable already working with them.”
