Though they will lose their long-standing sponsorship from McDonald’s, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing have landed a major sponsorship from iconic NASCAR sponsor Hardee’s.
Since their first season in 2021, many NASCAR fans associate McDonald’s as one of the main sponsors of 23XI Racing.
After all, the team, which has since grown from one to two to three full-time cars, is owned by three-time Daytona 500 Champion Denny Hamlin and the NBA legend and long-time McDonald’s sponsored athlete Michael Jordan.
But like many things in NASCAR, things are changing at 23XI Racing, as indicated by paint schemes and recent rumors, as McDonald’s will not be back with the team for 2026.
Despite this tough loss, the team won’t be hurting for sponsorship, with long-time partner Xfinity stepping up alongside a new sponsor, one NASCAR fans are all too familiar with.
Hardee’s, known for its sponsorship of drivers like Cale Yarborough and Dale Jarrett, is making its return to NASCAR as the Official Quick Service Restaurant of NASCAR and as a primary partner of 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace.
From 1981 to 1997, Hardee’s was viewed as one of the most prominent restaurant sponsors in NASCAR, sitting atop the hood of Champions, Daytona 500 winners, and generational superstars.
In 1981, driver Bobby Allison took the brand to victory lane three times. From 1983 to 1988, Hardee’s served as a key sponsor for fellow Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough, who won nine races, two Daytona 500s with the restaurant chain on the hood of his Ranier-Lundy Racing No. 28.
Later during their time in NASCAR, Hardee’s also laid claim to drivers like Alan Kulwicki for five races in 1985, Dale Jarrett in 1988 and 1989, and Ward Burton in 1994 and 1995. The brand has not sponsored a car in NASCAR since 1997, when it sponsored Greg Sacks at Talladega.
With McDonald’s and Hardee’s in at 23XI, some NASCAR fans may be wondering what the future holds for the brand in NASCAR, and, as of press time, that future seems to be in flux.
Much like Hardee’s, the restaurant chain has a lengthy history in NASCAR, dating back to the early 1990s, sponsoring cars for Junior Johnson and eventually serving as the long-time sponsor for Bill Elliott’s driver/owner effort from 1995 to 2000.
After a short stint at PPI Motorsports in 2001, McDonald’s would not serve as a consistent primary sponsor in the Cup Series until the 2010s, eventually landing at 23XI Racing in the 2020s.
Last season, McDonald’s seemed to reel back its role in NASCAR, sponsoring nine races at 23XI, down from 21 in 2024, and removing itself as a founding sponsor of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race in January, being replaced by Arby’s in that role shortly after.
Beyond this, the brand even reeled in its marketing, with fans noticing the brand not being featured on any 23XI Racing diecast (even as an associate sponsor), not making an appearance with the brand in the new NASCAR console game, NASCAR 25.
Even if they do not return to NASCAR in 2026, it would not be the first time the brand left NASCAR, and perhaps, there is a world where they return at some point, much like they did in the 2010s.
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