SHR announced that Wonder Bread and Old Spice have joined the team as primary sponsors for this weekend's playoff race at the 2.66-mile Alabama track. The team is co-owned by Gene Haas and NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart.
The cars should be instantly recognizable to anyone who has seen the 2006 sports comedy Talladega Nights, with Ryan Preece driving Ricky Bobby's Wonder Bread car (portrayed by Will Ferrell) and Chase Briscoe driving Cal Naughton Jr.'s Old Spice car (portrayed by John C. Reilly).
“This is an entertaining promotion that allows us to work with two innovative brands in Wonder Bread and Old Spice where we can stand out together amid a very busy fall sports schedule,” said Brian McKinley, Chief Revenue Officer, Stewart-Haas Racing. “Talladega Nights is a cult classic and Wonder Bread and Old Spice were savvy enough to be on board with the movie from the very beginning. For our sport, it’s the gift that keeps on giving, and it’s given Stewart-Haas Racing a great platform to have some fun and engage with our fans.”
It's not the first time liveries from the movie have made it onto the real superspeedway. In 2012, Kurt Busch ran the 'ME' car that was featured in the final act of the film.
“Talladega Nights is one movie that most people have seen and laughed with, and these really cool paint schemes will bring back those memories,” said Preece in a release from the team. “Getting to have my teammate, Chase Briscoe, in the Old Spice car makes it all come together. The movie remains relevant after all these years, and there’s no better track than Talladega to work with your teammates. We’re going to have a lot of fun this weekend and I hope we get the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang in victory lane.”
Added Briscoe: “Talladega Nights is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I’m really glad that Old Spice was on board to come back to Stewart-Haas Racing. "We couldn’t do this Talladega Nights deal without them, and as a Tony Stewart fan who has gone on to drive his car, it’s really special to be the one to bring it back for all the fans.”
