NASCAR team Stewart-Haas Racing is already in for big changes with the retirement of Kevin Harvick, but that isn't the only big change for 2024.
Longtime racing sponsor Anheuser-Busch has announced its departure from the No. 4 Ford Mustang. It will be making the move back to Chevrolet with Trackhouse Racing's No. 1 of Ross Chastain.
The long-anticipated news was finally officially announced. Busch Beer's Twitter page hinted at something special Monday with a watermelon. Many could have thought maybe it meant a new watermelon-flavored Busch Light or something along those lines. But the air was cleared with Tuesday's news.
Busch shared its big news with a video on Twitter.
Busch Light 🤝 @RossChastain coming to a track near you in 2024.
Here’s to a future of crushing Busch Light and smashing melons 🍉 pic.twitter.com/pjQWt4ZNvj
— Busch Beer (@BuschBeer) July 11, 2023
Ross Chastain Reacts To New Partnership
Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images
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Anheuser-Busch has seen plenty of success in NASCAR over the years. And with it also being one of the title sponsors of NASCAR, partnering with one of the new, up-and-coming faces of the sport was all important.
Harvick carried it well for many years, to more than half of his 60 career victories.
Now, Chastain has a chance to build on that legacy.
Chastain was ecstatic about the new partnership, calling it a dream come true.
"On the farm in Alva, Florida, Busch Light has always been the beer of choice for all of our celebrations, and now that they are right by my side as my sponsor — it's a dream come true!" Chastain said in a statement. "This sponsorship means so much to me as a brand that not only supports NASCAR but also places value and extends its support to communities that are close to my heart — the humble, hard-working people across the U.S. who enjoy cracking a cold one after an honest day's work."
Trackhouse Racing has been the team on the rise, with five wins in the last two seasons from three different drivers.
That includes Chastain, who has really made a name for himself in the sport.
Trackhouse founder Justin Marks said he is proud to bring such an iconic brand to the team and have it paired with Chastain, who has proved he is a championship-level driver already in his career.
"Ross has already accomplished so much in his career and we're so proud that an iconic brand like Busch Light sees his commitment not only to the sport but to his fans," Marks said. "Being sponsored by the official beer of NASCAR is such an honor and we can't wait to see what Ross and Busch Light accomplish together in 2024 and beyond. It has been Trackhouse's goal from day one to build something special and different. Something that resonates with the fans and partners in NASCAR. For Busch Light to recognize this and commit to the vision is both humbling and inspiring as we continue to write a special chapter in the history of the sport."
The history of Anheuser-Busch in NASCAR is so extensive that Chastain has plenty of big shoes to follow — from the success of Budweiser with the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Harvick to Busch Beer and Busch Light's long history in the sport.
Chastain has come a long way from battling it out with Harvick at Darlington in the Xfinity Series in 2018. One fan, @Pokefan_2844, jokingly commented on Twitter about the announcement, sharing the video of the famous run-in between the two drivers.
This bit from Harvick after the 2018 Darlington tangle just keeps getting funnier and funnier. https://t.co/GKRhbCuBTk pic.twitter.com/a6EgG2rte1
— Ethan (@Pokefan_2844) July 11, 2023
With the loss of such a big sponsor for Stewart-Haas, a number of fans are concerned about the organization's future. But fear not — I'm sure Tony Stewart has something big planned for his four-driver lineup of Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, Aric Almirola and Ryan Preece.
Trackhouse sure has plenty of momentum. What's to stop it from becoming a new powerhouse in NASCAR? And is a watermelon-flavored Busch Light on the way?
