By Robin Smith Meiser

In the 1980's NASCAR legend Tim Richmond began his Winston Cup career with the Old Milwaukee beer logo on his Pontiac until he joined the Rick Hendrick stable. In the ensuing years, Old Milwaukee and The Pabst Brewing carried a low profile in stock car racing.

Two years ago, Pabst decided to try their hand in the business again and teamed up with John Boy and Billy Racing of syndicated radio fame, to sponsor "Doc" Brewer in the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series. An internal medicine doctor from High Point, N.C. who counts the Labonte Brothers among his patients, Brewer drives the #44 Pabst Blue Ribbon Pontiac Sunfire.

Brewer's new teammate, rookie Tim Nichols from Cedar Bluff, Virginia thrilled the crowd at Daytona during the Goody's Dash Discount Auto Parts 200 by a surprise third place finish. Driving in his first race at the 2.5-mile oval, his #52 Pontiac Sunfire carried the Old Milwaukee beer logo.

Now the Pabst Brewing Company has announced even deeper involvement with stock car racing. They have inked a three-year agreement in which Old Milwaukee, the Official Beer of ARCA, will be the official pole award sponsor of ARCA's touring series to include the ARCA RE/MAX Series, the Lincoln Welders Truck Series and the Auto Value Midget Series.

Old Milwaukee Pole Award winners in RE/MAX Series competition will receive $1,000 for winning the pole at any superspeedway race and $500 for any short-track event. In addition, Old Milwaukee will offer $5,000 in year-end awards to the driver who wins the most poles throughout each season.

Old Milwaukee Pole Award winners in ARCA Truck and Midget divisions will receive $100 for each pole and a bonus of $1,000 in year-end cash awards to the driver in each series who has collected the most poles throughout the year.

"The Old Milwaukee Pole Award gives the ARCA competitors something additional to shoot for," said ARCA Marketing Director Jim Clarke. "It, without question, adds greatly to our overall awards program. Old Milwaukee's been a staple in this country for more than a century, and ARCA's been around for a half century, so from a business standpoint we have a lot in common. We're proud to have Old Milwaukee on board as our pole award sponsor, and I know the racers will appreciate it as well."

ARCA driver Kirk Shelmerdine was the first driver to win the Old Milwaukee Pole Award this year after posting the fastest speed during the Daytona race. Shelmerdine is best remembered as past crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, Sr. during his heyday of winning championship after championship. After catching the "racing bug", Shelmerdine left Earnhardt to purse a career in stock car driving himself.

The next ARCA REMAX/Challenge race will be held at the 1.33 mile banked concrete oval called Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. Winston Cup driver Kenny Schrader has already entered the PFG Lester 150 event along with notables such as Shawna Robinson, Tim Steele and Bill Venturini are also already entered into the event. Past NFL head coach Jerry Glanville of Atlanta Falcons and Houston Oiler fame is also entered. Glanville races stock cars when he is not providing football color commentary in the broadcast booth. Also slated to appear will be third generation drivers, Jason Jarrett, son of 1999 Winston Cup Champion Dale Jarrett; and Steadman Marlin, son of Sterling Marlin.