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“What the Hell Man”—Fans’ Dislike for Dale Earnhardt Jr’s $401 Million Sponsor Clouds Massive News

Published 05/26/2023, 11:55 AM EDT

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Dale Earnhardt Jr is one of the more vocal supporters of positive changes in NASCAR. The two-time Xfinity champion is behind multiple initiatives that have been helpful to the sport in many ways. His natural talent for attracting crowds and deep knowledge of the industry is instrumental to his approach.

Having Dale Jr behind the wheel again is an attractive prospect from multiple viewpoints. From garnering fans to generating revenue and viewership, just having his name in the lineup increases the number of eyeballs that an event attracts. Hence, to add to the fans’ excitement, Junior has released the first look of the color scheme of his ride for Food City 300 in Bristol in September. However, despite the news, fans seemingly have turned their attention to something entirely on a different page.

Dale Earnhardt Jr set to race in the #88 Hellmann’s Camaro at Bristol

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At Bristol Motor Speedway, Earnhardt will pilot the #88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet Camaro SS while Justin Allgaier is also being roped in for six races. In a recent tweet, Bristol Motor Speedway’s Twitter handle teased Junior’s car for the race. Leading sponsor Hellmann’s is the country’s market leader in mayonnaise production. As per Businessweek, Hellmann’s was responsible for $401.2 million in sales in 2022. The stat gets even more impressive as they cover nearly one-third of the total $1.3 billion mayo market in the country.

The former Hendrick Motorsports driver being one of the brand ambassadors for parent company Unilever is one of the reasons behind the extended partnership. The Unilever-owned company has been a long-time partner for Earnhardt’s team JR Motorsports. Driving a JR Motorsports car, Jamie McMurray took home the inaugural victory with Hellmann’s in 2010 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

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Extending their support to the sport since 2009, Hellmann’s-sponsored cars began their success story with a win for McMurray. The coalition also boasts of wins at Darlington and Nashville with Allgaier in 2022. With the news of Junior driving on September 15 at Bristol confirmed, speculations have been floating about him competing in another race this season. If true, this would be the first time he races twice in Xfinity in a season since 2017.

Watch This Story: HMS Prodigy lets slip Rick Hendrick’s stance on competing in Dale Earnhardt Jr’s million-dollar event at North Wilkesboro

Fans disapprove of Hellmann’s and compare it with market competitors

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In spite of such exciting news, the sponsorship has been on the receiving end of some criticism from fans. Although a matter of personal preferences, the fandom did not shy away from voicing their thoughts on yet another Hellmann’s sponsored ride for Dale Jr. “Duke’s Mayonnaise is better,” said a fan as he compared it with a rising contender in the edible product industry

More fans joined the mayonnaise bandwagon, one of the fans even tweeting “That’s not real mayonnaise!”

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Some fans have been more welcoming of the news about the legendary driver getting back in action. Expressing their appreciation for the choice of colors on the ride, a fan tweets, “He’s always had some of the cleanest schemes.”

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Although the sponsorship saga on Twitter has divided the fandom, there are no doubts about the enthusiasm for Dale Jr’s return to Bristol. Watching him tough it out on the tracks is one of the much-awaited events of the year definitely.

Read More: Dale Earnhardt Jr Tears Apart “Obnoxious” Fans Over Bubba Wallace Becoming a Victim of Extreme “S**t”

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Written by:

Ansuman Abhisek

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Ansuman Abhisek is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. As an engineering graduate, he has a strong affinity for cars, and it didn't take long for him to translate that into his love for the sport. He is a big fan of Kyle Busch and believes that the Richard Childress Driver still has his best years ahead of him.
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Edited by:

Nischal Kandpal