hearing Chad Blount is going to drive a Busch Series car at Milwaukee. Miller Brewing is going to paint the car up to look just like the #22 Miller High Life car that Bobby drove in 1983, the year he won his and Miller’s only championship, as a tribute and celebration of the 20th anniversary of that winning season. Allison will be present for the Press Announcement and for the race. Miller called him and asked him to take part. Rusty Wallace will not be the owner, but his teammate Ryan Newman will be. Rusty Wallace is building a new shop for a part-time Busch Series team, but doesn’t have a driver for the deal, yet. See past news/rumors on this at my Busch Series site.(6-16-2003)
UPDATE: other sources say Newman is not part of this deal and FoxSports reports: Chad Blount will drive the 66 Busch car at Milwaukee for Wayne Jesel.(FoxSports)(6-17-2003)
UPDATE 2: Miller Brewing Company will commemorate High Lifes 100th Anniversary by bringing together High Life Racings past and present this Thursday at the Milwaukee Mile. A prominent backer of all forms of auto racing in the 1970s and 1980s, High Life sponsored NASCAR legend Bobby Allison during his 1983 Winston Cup championship-winning season. In addition, High Life supported teams that won many prestigious races, including stock cars Daytona 500 and endurance racings 24-Hours of Daytona, along with a pair of Indianapolis 500 victories (1984 and 1988). High Life returns to its roots — and the race track — at the June 29 GNC Live Well 250 NASCAR Grand National race in Milwaukee. WHAT: High Life commemorates its 100th Anniversary by bringing together auto racings past and present. On Thursday, June 19, 2003 at Milwaukee, there will be an announcment with Bobby Allison and Chad Blount with the 2003 #66 High Life/Jessel Racing Dodge. Brief press announcement, followed by interviews with Allison, Blount and High Life officials. The No. 66 High Life Dodge will be testing at the track.(Tom Roberts PR)(6-19-2003)
UPDATE 3 – Allison, Miller High Life and Blount at Milwaukee: Miller Brewing Company announced that it will commemorate the 100th Anniversary of its High Life brand by bringing together High Life Racing’s past and present to sponsor a stock car in the upcoming Busch Series race at the Milwaukee Mile, June 29. High Life was a prominent backer of all forms of auto racing for two decades beginning in the 1970s and sponsored the High Life stock car in which Bobby Allison captured the 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup championship. Now, High Life is returning to the track with the Jesel Racing team and the #66 High Life Dodge, which will be driven by rookie Chad Blount. The car will feature a paint scheme to honor High Life’s 100th Anniversary and a design that resembles Allison’s championship-winning High Life car. This sponsorship commemorating the 100th Anniversary will make High Life the primary sponsor of Blount and the Jesel Racing team at the Milwaukee Mile, June 28-29. Extensive visibility for High Life on the team’s car and crew uniforms, as well as on the driver’s suit, is included in the deal. A 23-year-old driver who has participated in 11 Busch Series race, Blount will be making his first-ever start at Milwaukee’s one-mile oval in the GNC Live Well 250. This season, Blount has recorded one top-five finish (Texas Motor Speedway, March 29) in the series. In 2002, Blount competed in the ARCA Re/Max series and finished second in the championship point standings. Blount, a Walkerton, Indiana native, recorded four ARCA wins, five pole positions and 11 top-five finishes, en route to earning series Rookie-of-the-Year honors. The car driven by Blount will resemble Bobby Allison’s familiar High Life stock car in which he won his 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup championship.(Tom Roberts PR), Matt Kenseth’s spotter, Mike Calinoff will serve as the spotter for Blount.(6-20-2003)
