Daytona 500 News: Budweiser will Sponsor Duel at Daytona for Speedweeks

As the Daytona 500 approaches during the 2012 Speedweeks at Daytona, an announcement from Budweiser and Daytona International Speedway, indicated that Busdweiser will soon take on an increased sponsorship of NASCAR’s season opening festivities.

In the 2013 NASCAR season, Budweiser will become the official title sponsor of Speedweeks according to the announcement. Speedweeks at Daytona spans a 10 day period filled with stock-car races including the Shootout to the Daytona 500®.

In addition, Budweiser has secured entitlement of the Budweiser Duel at Daytona, which consists of two 150-mile qualifying races that determine the starting lineup for the Daytona 500. Budweiser currently sponsors the the season-opening, non-points Shootout. This new partnership with the Daytona International Speedway will replace that sponsorship.

“Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway marks the official start of the NASCAR season, and the opportunity to expand our presence throughout the ten-day event puts Budweiser even more in the thick of it all,” said Brad Brown, vice president of sports & entertainment marketing, Anheuser-Busch. “The Shootout has been an important element of our NASCAR program for 34 years, but this opportunity to enhance our partnership makes Budweiser even more relevant to our consumers as well as the fans of the Daytona 500.”

The expanded sponsorship also includes some high profile network broadcast time as Budweiser will receive the presenting sponsorship of the Daytona 500 pre-race broadcast show. For NASCAR race fans at Daytona, Budweiser will have an increased presence in hospitality tents and areas, including the naming rights to the 5th Turn hospitality area throughout Speedweeks.

“Budweiser is the longest running active partner with Daytona International Speedway and we are incredibly excited to enter this new chapter with them in 2013,” said Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood. “The opportunities created by this enhanced partnership are compelling and our fans will benefit the most. The intensity and fun atmosphere that Budweiser brought to the Shootout for so many years will be taken up several notches as they assume a much broader role during Speedweeks and ‘The Great American Race.'”