Getty NASCAR Cup Series drivers pose at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
NASCAR kicked off its 75th anniversary season with a TV spot celebrating the legends that built the sport. That campaign continues with “Roads,” which highlights the current stars.
The new 30-second TV spot, which debuted on May 26, actually begins with a Hall of Famer. Dale Earnhardt Jr. drives the 75th-anniversary entry at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C., while providing narration about the “million roads” that lead to NASCAR. He then drives past a young Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace, and Chase Elliott while highlighting their respective journeys to stardom.
There’s only one road — forward. #NASCAR75
The goal of putting Earnhardt center stage is to have him bridge the gap. He represents the past, and he provides a connection to the drivers that are currently helping steer NASCAR toward the future.
“NASCAR’s growth is really important to me, and it’s great to see the sport expanding with so many talented racers from different areas and walks of life as the sport continues to evolve,” said Earnhardt.
“It was an honor to be included in this campaign to help celebrate where NASCAR has been and where it’s going as part of the 75th anniversary.”
NASCAR Had Specific Reasons for Including Each Driver
GettyChase Elliott (left) & Bubba Wallace (right) prepare for qualifying at Darlington Raceway.
Each driver included in “Roads” is fitting based on their paths to the Cup Series, as well as the impact they have each made. All three have celebrated wins while one has added a championship to his resume.
Suarez, in particular, is in his seventh full-time season in the Cup Series. He has dealt with his fair share of struggles while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Gaunt Brothers Racing, and Trackhouse Racing. He has also made NASCAR history by becoming the first Mexican-born driver to win a Cup Series race.
Wallace, for comparison, spent the first three seasons of his Cup Series career driving for Richard Petty Motorsports. He didn’t have many opportunities to contend for wins, but he delivered nine top-10 finishes and three top-fives.
Once Wallace moved to 23XI Racing, he began making more significant strides. He has set career-high marks in multiple categories each season, and he has won two races. The first of these, Talladega in 2021, made Wallace the second Black driver to win in Cup Series history.
Elliott has not suited up for multiple teams since making his move to the Cup Series. Instead, he has been a key figure at Hendrick Motorsports. He has been a contender for the team while piling up 18 wins, three appearances in the championship four, and a Cup Series championship. Elliott has also been named Most Popular Driver every year since 2018.
Another TV Spot Will Debut Later in 2023
The 2023 season has been a celebration of NASCAR’s past, present, and future. This has been reflected in the TV spots, two of which aired during the FOX Sports portion of the schedule.
The first TV spot focused on the origins of the sport and its legends. There were stock cars racing on the beach, as well as Bill Elliott setting the record for the fastest speed in NASCAR history — 2012.808 mph at Talladega Superspeedway.
Here’s the 75th anniversary spot that @NASCAR debuted during yesterday’s Daytona 500 and which is one of three ads that it’s releasing this year around an ‘Always Forward’ marketing campaign.
🔲 The second will be about the present and third about the future.
The second spot focused on the present. Earnhardt, Suarez, Wallace, and Elliott highlighted the paths that lead to the NASCAR Cup Series and the big moments that they have all celebrated.
There will be one more spot that makes up this campaign. The final one will focus on the future of NASCAR, and it will debut prior to the start of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs on Sunday, September 3.