Skip navigation
Site powered by
Latest news:
msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines: Arab League wants UN peacekeepers in Syria

Earnhardt Jr. a computer geek? Kind of

'Big electronics fan' signs endorsement contract with Sony

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.AP
“I’m a big electronics fan. I’m a big computer guy. It’s products I can dig,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. told reporters Thursday while announcing that he was adding Sony Electronics as a sponsor.

OAKVILLE, Calif. - From the time his sister lent him money to buy his first computer, Dale Earnardt Jr. has been wowed by technology. Now, NASCAR’s most popular driver has an endorsement deal with Sony Electronics.

“I’m a big electronics fan. I’m a big computer guy. It’s products I can dig,” Earnhardt said Thursday at a winery in the heart of California’s Napa Valley, where he announced the Sony deal. He will be competing on Sunday in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in nearby Sonoma.

His deal with Sony is a personal services contract that gives the company use of his name, likeness and voice for promotions. He also has a similar deal with Budweiser that will continue next year, regardless of what’s on his car.

Meanwhile, Junior still isn’t saying what role longtime sponsor Budweiser will have with him when he joins Hendrick Motorsports next season.

Budweiser has been Earnhardt’s primary sponsor since 1999, and the beer manufacturer wants to continue its relationship with him at Hendrick. But car owner Rick Hendrick isn’t actively pursuing new sponsors, and it’s possible Bud could get shut out.

Earnhardt also said a possible endorsement deal with sporting goods manufacturer Adidas was “on the wish list.”

Earnhardt’s move to Hendrick is expected to clean up his sometimes scruffy image to match that of his teammates, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, although he appeared at Thursday’s news conference in a scraggy beard, an untucked dress shirt and worn jeans — with Puma athletic shoes.

  Johnny Benson on NASCAR

Stewart, Hamlin, Johnson, and Jeff Gordon top threats at Brickyard

Earnhardt said he took to computers early on, but that his father never believed the Internet would be a success.

“That’s one place he was wrong and I was right. I took a lot of typing classes in high school,” he said.

Neither Earnhardt nor Stuart Redsun, Sony’s vice president of corporate marketing, would discuss the financial arrangement or the length of the deal.

“We’re very happy at Sony to have Dale Junior involved for some time,” Redsun said.

Earnhardt said he got a new digital camera out of the deal.

“The cash is great, but the product is good, too,” he said.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement
CNBC video
Earnhardt Jr. pulls away from family
May 10: A family feud has the NASCAR star looking for a new team. The move means multimillions will change hands. "On the Money's" Darren Rovell reports.
Slideshow
Kobalt Tools 500
  Earning a trip to victory lane
Take a look at every NASCAR driver who has claimed a checkered flag this racing season.

NBCSports.com

Slideshow
SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600
  Revved up for racing
Take a look at how some NASCAR fans express their dedication to the drivers and to the sport.

NBCSports.com

Slideshow
Danica Patrick,  Helio Castroneves
  Danica Daze
Danica Patrick is expanding her repertoire from the IRL to NASCAR.

more photos

Slideshow
Coca-Cola 600
  Celebs at the track
Take a look at the stars who have attended NASCAR races.

NBCSports.com

Slideshow
Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Brian Vickers
  NASCAR crashes
Sparks fly and cars spin out wildly when NASCAR drivers get into accidents.

NBCSports.com

INTERACTIVE
"Taxi" Film Premiere
NASCAR wives and girlfriends
They're fixtures in pit row, but they don't drive on the track or work on the cars. Take a look at some notable NASCAR wives and girlfriends.
Slideshow
Image: Snee, 8, son of New York Giants player Chris Snee and head coach Coughlin's grandson plays in the confetti after the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis
  The Week in Sports Pictures
The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more.

more photos