10 Biggest Advertising Campaigns That Turned NASCAR Drivers Into Mainstream Superstars

Biggest Advertising Campaigns That Turned NASCAR Drivers Into Superstars

Danica Patrick

10. “Any Questions?” NASCAR 2024 Campaign Featuring Current Stars

NASCAR’s own 2024 season marketing campaign, titled Any Questions, put current drivers like Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, and Ross Chastain front and center — a strategic move to build connection between drivers and fans across digital and broadcast platforms.

9. Bank of America “Who’s Your Driver?” NASCAR Cards Ad (2008)

Bank of America ran a major NASCAR card promo featuring top drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, and Juan Pablo Montoya in a national ad campaign tied to co-branded debit/credit cards.

8. Clint Bowyer & 5-Hour Energy with Jim Furyk

This campaign paired Bowyer with pro golfer Jim Furyk in 5-Hour Energy ads, leveraging cross-sports appeal rather than only NASCAR imagery.

7. Sprint Framily / Sprint Ads with Jeff Gordon

Sprint used Gordon in a series of humorous commercials (including with the brand’s quirky characters like “Lug Nut”) to humanize the sport to broader audiences.

6. NASCAR’s “Heroes” Campaign Featuring Multiple Drivers

NASCAR itself ran a major ad called “Heroes” showcasing stars including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart, tying the sport’s personalities to inspirational storytelling.

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Goody’s Headache Relief & Other Commercial Spots

Earnhardt Jr. starred in prank-style and sponsored commercials promoting products like Goody’s Headache Relief. His broad fan appeal made these spots highly visible.

4. Gillette Young Guns Campaign (2009)

Gillette’s “Young Guns” ads featured rising NASCAR stars like Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin and more as part of a grooming product promotion, taking NASCAR personalities into mainstream consumer branding.

3. Dale Jarrett – UPS “We Want to Race the Truck” Campaign

The UPS campaign with Dale Jarrett wasn’t just sponsorship — it was an extended ad series where Jarrett humorously interacted with UPS trucks, making the brand part of NASCAR fan culture.

2. Danica Patrick – GoDaddy Ads

Danica Patrick became one of NASCAR’s most recognizable faces in the GoDaddy “GoDaddy Girl” commercials, with a long-running series pairing her personality with bold, attention-grabbing spots.

1. Jeff Gordon – Pepsi Max “Test Drive” Campaign (2013)

Jeff Gordon starred in a viral Pepsi Max campaign where he disguised himself and took a car salesman on a wild test drive, which became a huge online hit with tens of millions of views — a pioneering NASCAR-linked viral ad