LOOK: Popular Fast Food Mascot Makes NASCAR Appearence

A popular fast food mascot was recently featured in the 2024 Iowa Corn 350 via a unique stock car paint scheme.

I've watched just about every NASCAR Cup Series race this season on my TV. I just got my tickets and hotel booked for the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis, and I can't wait to see some professional stock car auto racing action in person. One of the smaller aspects I like about watching the races each week is seeing the different paint schemes put together by each team. While watching the 2024 Iowa Corn 350 this past weekend, one car definitely caught my eye.

In NASCAR, teams often swap out paint schemes to promote a sponsor's product or service. When it came to 23XI Racing's No. 23 Toyota Camry during the Iowa Corn 350, there was definitely something unique about it that longtime McDonald's patrons likely noticed. The car, driven by Bubba Wallace, featured a purple paint scheme along with the face of "Grimace" on the hood. Wallace's racing suit also featured a similar design.

According to the Official Grimace Fan Club (yes, that's a thing), the purple monster has been around since the early 1970s. Grimace was featured in early advertisements stealing milkshakes from citizens of "McDonaldland," but rose back into popularity in 2023 with the debut of "The Grimace Shake." The shake was released last year in honor of the monster's 52nd birthday and was the subject of a viral TikTok trend, which brought the beast back into the spotlight.

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Wallace, from Mobile, Alabama, is a rising star in NASCAR. He secured the 17th-place finish at the Iwo Corn 350 and holds the #14 overall ranking in the 2024 season standings. McDonald's has fully embraced their partnership with the 30-year-old driver and even introduced a "Bubba Wallace meal" at select restaurant locations in 2023. According to NBC Chicago, the meal featured a 10-piece order of Chicken McNuggets, a medium fry, and a medium Dr. Pepper for $8.

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Wallace certainly has a lot of talent, with a total of six Craftsman Truck Series wins under his belt. I would imagine his first Cup Series win will be any day now. Perhaps that win will be accompanied by another McDonald's mascot-inspired paint scheme? You can view a full 2024 Iowa Corn 350 race replay here.

Old-School NASCAR Car Logos That Are Still Cool Today

It's pretty common for NASCAR rides to switch designs week to week, but back in the '90s, when the cars had to be actually painted versus wrapped like today, rides stuck with designs for weeks at a time.

Some of these paint jobs never would see the light of day in today's world. Let's run down some some classic NASCAR sponsor paint jobs as well as some forgotten ones.

Gallery Credit: Wood

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Champion NASCAR racer Kevin Harvick is selling his spectacular estate in North Carolina, and pictures show a jaw-dropping property worthy of one of the world's top drivers.

Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker