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Every NASCAR race has to have a name, whether that be an unsponsored name like the “Daytona 500” or “Southern 500”, or, more commonly, a sponsored race name like the “Coca-Cola 600” or the “Autotrader Echopark Automotive 400”. While it’s always great to see sponsors support NASCAR, it’s created some strange race names.
Anheuser-Busch is one of NASCAR’s most loyal sponsors. It’s tough to imagine NASCAR without a Busch-related advertised somewhere, but, in 2021, the team tried a little too hard. The spring race at Kansas Speedway was titled the “Buschy McBusch Race 400”.
Busch tried to be creative with this race name, which makes sense. Busch is a premier partner of NASCAR, so, why not diversify its’ advertising? However, this race title is just a mouthful, but, the effort is appreciated.
Nickelodeon shows sponsoring NASCAR races is not an uncommon concept, but, Spongebob Squarepants is easily the most recognizable of the bunch. Spongebob had been a title sponsor in the lower series before, but, the Cup Series first Spongebob sponsored race came in 2015 at Kansas Speedway.
It will be interesting to see if NASCAR tries this again in the future. With the introduction of kids-centered broadcasts in sports like the NFL, a race sponsored by a kid’s show like Spongebob could be a perfect springboard for that.
In 2000 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, thatlook.com sponsored all 3 races of the July race weekend. What is thatlook.com? It’s a now-defunct website dedicated to connecting customers with doctors for cosmetic surgery.
Yeah, that’s an admittedly strange combination for a NASCAR race. The company is no longer in existence, and that only adds to the oddity of a race name like this.
For 3 seasons, the season-opening Xfinity Series race at Daytona was sponsored by “Beef. It’s what’s for Dinner” aimed at selling beef. The real kicker was the trophy, where drivers would earn a giant cooler filled with steak. A steak dinner is admittedly not a bad way to celebrate a victory.
Food-sponsored races are not a new thing, but, the trophy is what pushes this one over the top. This company went all the way with their race sponsorship, down to the trophy.
The 2024 NASCAR season has already seen a strange sponsor, Dude Wipes, for the Xfinity Series race at Martinsville. Dude Wipes is a company that sells flushable wipes for when nature calls, a very practical product for obvious reasons.
Still, it’s a strange sponsor, and there has never been a race sponsored by something related to toilet paper. Still, it’s great to see Dude Wipes investing in the sport, especially with driver Anthony Alfredo.
These are just a few of NASCAR’s strange race names. Will there be more added to the list this season?
