QuestionDoes the main car sponsor belong to the driver or the team? In other words does Jr. get to take Bud with him or does Bud stay with DEI racing?
AnswerContracts are all different, some are with the driver, some with the car owner, most tied to both.
Here's a good "f'rinstance" for ya: Back in 1983 Dale, Sr. was driving for Bud Moore in the #15 Wrangler Ford, and the contract with Wrangler ran through 1984. By the end of the season Sr. got out of his contract with Bud and went to drive for a fella named Richard Childress. Only problem was that Wrangler still had another year's contract with Bud Moore, which he would not allow them out of. So in 1984 Ricky Rudd took over driving the #15 with Wrangler on the side of the car. Wrangler, not wanting to lose a good thing signed a contract with Childress and put their name on the side of the #3 Chevy. So if you look back and find pix of races from 1984 there were two Wrangler cars, one Ford and one Chevy.
Now the answer to your question: at this point I don't think anybody knows yet what will happen there. I don't know the contract, Jr. probably didn't know the legal responsibilites at this point (maybe why there was no answer at the news conference today) and I guess we will all have to wait to see who, if anybody, gets Bud. I'd be willing to bet they stay with Jr. (brand recognition), but if there is still a contract with Theresa...who knows...maybe history will repeat and there will be 2 Bud cars next year.
Another little side note (speaking of history repeating itself)...in 1984 there were two Bud cars, owned by Jr. Johnson, the #11 and the #12, driven by Darrell Waltrip and Neil Bonnett, respectively. If you want to, send me your email address I'll send ya pix of the 2 Wrangler cars and the 2 Budweiser cars from 1984.
