NASCAR: Wendy’s takes shot at McDonald’s ahead of Daytona 500
By Asher Fair
Noah Gragson sponsor Wendy’s took a shot at Bubba Wallace sponsor McDonald’s ahead of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500.
After sponsoring Noah Gragson’s No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet in last April’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, Wendy’s has returned to serve as his sponsor in his first Cup Series race as a full-time driver for Legacy Motor Club, the team formerly known as Petty GMS Motorsports.
Wendy’s is sponsoring Gragson’s No. 42 Chevrolet in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, and the paint scheme features the iconic, square Wendy’s hamburger that started it all, resulting in the car being nicknamed “The BEEF”.
But Wendy’s won’t be the only fast food chain serving as a primary sponsor in this Sunday afternoon’s 200-lap Great American Race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval.
And ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series season opener, they aren’t hesitating to embrace a rivalry with the other.
As they did last year, McDonald’s is serving as the sponsor of Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series season opener.
Without naming McDonald’s, Wendy’s Chief Marketing Officer Carl Loredo took a shot at the sponsor of the No. 23 Toyota, referring to the company as their “McBland competitors” and accusing them of “cutting corners” when it comes to designing their paint scheme.
When comparing the two Daytona 500 paint schemes side by side, does he have a point?
🍟@Wendys CMO @CarlLoredo on the QSR wars in the #Daytona500: "We’re proud of Noah Gragson’s No. 42 'The BEEF' car, and fans have been praising the paint scheme on social all week long! ... We can’t say the same goes for our McBland competitors. At Wendy's, we don't cut corners." pic.twitter.com/35Mx7ZZ63i
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) February 16, 2023
.@Wendys has also put this up at its activation area @Daytona as it ribs fellow 500 entrant @McDonalds. pic.twitter.com/HPXuTNi747
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) February 16, 2023
Ironically, both Wendy’s and McDonald’s are available on DoorDash, another primary sponsor of Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota.
Wallace is set to start the race in 15th place after placing seventh in the first of Thursday night’s two Bluegreen Vacations Duels qualifying races, while Gragson is set to start in 22nd after placing 11th in the second.
In his fifth Daytona 500 start, Wallace matched his career-best result last year with a second place finish. Gragson, making his first Daytona 500 start, was scored 31st after a late wreck.
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The 65th annual Daytona 500 is set to be broadcast live on Fox beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, February 19. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don’t miss it!