The Daytona 500 doesn’t take place until February 20, but one NASCAR Cup Series driver has turned heads during a high-profile event. Bubba Wallace appeared in a Super Bowl LVI commercial for McDonald’s.
The clip, which aired early on February 13, featured numerous people trying to decide what they wanted to order from the fast-food chain. Wallace was among this group as he tried to make a decision in the middle of a pit stop. He sat in the driver’s seat of the No. 23 Toyota Camry featuring a red, yellow, and white McDonald’s scheme as his crew tried to get him back on the track.
Wallace was not the only big name to appear in the commercial. Kanye West also showed up for a brief moment before the camera switched to another person. Interestingly enough, Grimace made his return for the McDonald’s commercial, and he had a special guest provide his voice. Both the Aviation Gin Twitter account and Ryan Reynolds confirmed that he made an appearance as the purple mascot.
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The Commercial Continues Wallace’s Partnership With McDonald’s
Wallace appearing in a commercial for McDonald’s is not a surprise considering the long partnership between the fast-food chain and the Cup Series driver. McDonald’s has long served as a primary partner of Wallace, dating back to the 2019 season with Richard Petty Motorsports.
While Wallace moved over to 23XI Racing for the 2021 season, McDonald’s continued to support him. The Alabama native showcased several red, white, and yellow schemes during his inaugural year with the Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin co-owned team, and he took one of them to Victory Lane.
Wallace won his first career Cup Series race on October 4, 2021. He joined his fellow drivers at Talladega Superspeedway and battled for position in the rain-shortened race. He jumped to the front of the pack on Lap 113 and held on until a caution and rainfall brought the YellaWood 500 to an early end.
As the leader at the time of the race-ending rain, Wallace was declared the winner. He took McDonald’s to Victory Lane and snapped a 441-race winless streak for cars with the Golden Arches on them.
Wallace & McDonald’s Will Pursue More Wins Together
McDonald’s and 23XI Racing announced on December 7 that the No. 23 Toyota Camry would feature the unique color scheme throughout the 2022 Cup Series season. The restaurant chain will first take over the stock car for the season-opening Daytona 500 before returning for even more races as part of the longstanding relationship.
McDonald’s expanded its partnership with 23XI Racing to add even more races as the primary for Wallace. The press release did not provide the number of races. Instead, it simply said that there would be multiple featuring the scheme. The 2021 season featured eight races with the McDonald’s scheme, so the expanded deal should have even more.
Along with Wallace, McDonald’s will also support the second driver at 23XI Racing. Kurt Busch will have multiple races featuring the Golden Arches on the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD as the primary partner.
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Bubba Wallace Appears in Super Bowl LVI Commercial [WATCH]