February 13, 2012 3:39 PM


“NASCAR lovers love to drink beer.”

Hey, I didn’t say it. But it’s got to be true, because it WAS said late last month to the media by a spokesman for MillerCoors announcing a new multi-year deal between the brewer and Penske Racing.

"We don't make investment decisions like this without having a great sense of exactly what the alliance will deliver for our brands," MillerCoors Chief Marketing Officer Andy England said. "That's why I'm so excited about our continued partnerships with NASCAR and with Penske Racing. NASCAR fans are among the most passionate and loyal fans in all of sports, and they love nothing more than getting together with friends to watch the race while enjoying a cold, refreshing Coors Light or a great tasting, never watered down Miller Lite. Our distributors and retailers know that, which is why they're so supportive of our leadership in the sport."

In short, the millions of fans of the famed Blue Deuce and its popular driver Brad Keselowski can rest easy because Miller Lite will continue as the season-long primary sponsor of Penske's No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T with Keselowski behind the wheel. The new deal is an extension of the alliance that began in 1991.

"The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge is coming off a very successful season on the racetrack – one where we reached Victory Lane for a sixth-consecutive season while qualifying for the Chase for the Championship," said Roger Penske. "The continued support of MillerCoors will ensure that this long-standing partnership will remain one of the strongest bonds in professional motorsports. With Miller Lite, we are proud to have one of the few full-season sponsors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. That continuity is one of the many reasons Brad and the team are primed for another great season."

Keselowski’s new Penske Racing teammate A.J. Allmendinger will compete in Sprint Cup competition in the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T, which is also fully funded for the season.

Two cars will take part in the Nationwide circuit. Sam Hornish Jr. will run a full schedule behind the wheel of the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger. Keselowski will split time with Parker Kligerman in the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger.

Kligerman will also race full-time in the Camping World Truck series for Brad Keselowski Racing, driving the No. 29 Cequent/Cooper Standard RAM.

Other sponsors this season include AVIS, PPG and Snap-On Tools.

England also announced that Coors Light is extending its sponsorship as the official beer of NASCAR, which began in 2008.

The Daytona 500 kicks off the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season Feb. 26.