Mountain Dew extends sponsorship of Dale Jr., adds two teammates

Hendrick Motorsports has announced a three-year extension of PepsiCo's longstanding partnership with the organization.

As part of the arrangement, Mountain Dew is continuing as a primary sponsor of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and will also be a primary sponsor for Hendrick teammates Kasey Kahne and rookie Chase Elliott beginning in 2016.

The newest phase of PepsiCo's racing program comes after 15 seasons of partnering with Hendrick, including eight years of Earnhardt being paired with Mountain Dew. The 2016 season marks the first time the DEW brand will field a three-driver lineup.

Mountain Dew will be the primary sponsor of Earnhardt's No. 88 Chevrolet SS for three races each season through 2018, while Elliott's No. 24 team will have Mountain Dew as its primary sponsor in two races annually, and Kahne's No. 5 Chevy will campaign Mountain Dew as a primary sponsor in one race per year.

All three teams will carry DEW as an associate-level sponsor. Financial terms of the sponsorships were not disclosed.