AP Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wouldn't exactly recognize Victory Lane if he drove right into it.

Over the last 110 races, Earnhardt Jr. has won only twice.

What's so amazing about that? Well, he's still the most marketable NASCAR driver in the sport and those that have made bets on him are cashing in.

Just look at the folks at Pepsi.

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[PEP  Loading...      ()   ] Since making "Little E" their main man to promote their energy drink last year, they've been driven to the top

Last year, sales of AMP Energy drink grew 127.5 percent in top NASCAR markets. And growth almost hit 100 percent in the grocery channel alone.

This year, with AMP still on Earnhardt's car, the brand saw a 2.6 percent share jump in the first quarter, with volume up over 30 percent.

AMP Energy has jumped from sixth to fourth in the category - only behind Monster, Red Bull and Rockstar.

So despite Earnhardt's lackluster win percentage, Pepsi announced the next step this week. Starting this summer, Amp Energy will have an Earnhardt-themed drink called Tradin' Paint.

I have a feeling it will sell really well, even if Earnhardt doesn't win another race until 2015.

There's nothing like him in all of sports marketing.

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