What Are Your Favorite Racing Sponsorships?

Photo: Jeff Gross (Getty Images)

Corporate sponsorship is a core aspect of professional motorsports. Creating and maintaining a racing program is an expensive endeavor that requires more money than any event’s potential winnings. Formula 1 cars are occasionally referred to as the world’s fastest billboards, and jabs are made at NASCAR drivers for always including the sponsor’s name when referring to their cars. Though, many fans are openly nostalgic for particular sponsor paint schemes of yesteryear.

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Today, I’m asking which racing sponsor is your favorite? Did you think race teams always produce beautiful-looking livery when sponsored by a certain company, or did a specific brand create entertaining advertisements for the drivers it funded? I want to know why you love it when your favorite sponsor is involved in racing.

For me, it’s hard to argue that Robert Yates Racing’s partnership with UPS was one of the most memorable in NASCAR history. The most enduring aspect of the sponsorship was an ad campaign where UPS and racing fans attempted to convince NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett to drive the shipping company’s iconic big brown truck in a Cup Series race. The campaign reached its climax with ads where Jarrett finally agreed to race the truck. It lead to a sequel campaign revolving around the development of a race truck.

The “Race the Truck” ad campaign is so connected with Jarrett’s career that multiple NASCAR teams with be racing with UPS tribute paint schemes during this weekend’s races at Darlington, where Jarrett will be serving as grand marshal. Did you enjoy the big brown truck’s time in racing, or did you like a different brand more?