“I’ll be there”: NASCAR influencer reacts as reports emerge of McDonald’s Daytona 500 involvement

McDonald's and Wendy's are set to bring back a fan-favorite activation as the 2025 NASCAR season kicks off with the Daytona 500 on Sunday (Feb. 16). With teams and drivers preparing for the season's biggest race, brands and sponsors are also gearing up to engage fans with exciting promotions.

The Great American Race is the biggest event in the NASCAR calendar, drawing the largest TV audience, highest spectator turnout, and the biggest entry list, along with extensive brand promotions. Daytona International Speedway provides a grand stage for companies to engage fans, with brands seizing the opportunity to launch exciting and lucrative activations for spectators.

According to SBJ journalist Adam Stern, McDonald's will be handing out free Chicken McNuggets and French fries on the Midway at Daytona International Speedway. Meanwhile, rival fast-food chain Wendy's will offer free Dave’s Single cheeseburgers, fries, Frostys and Coke products in the infield. Both activations will also feature show cars.

NASCAR influencer Taylor Kitchen remarked that she would definitely check out these activations, noting that they always succeed in drawing attention.

"Y’all better believe I’ll be there 😂" she wrote on X.

Both McDonald's and Wendy's have sponsored a car for the Daytona 500. 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace will once again sport the French Fries and Ketchup-themed McDonald's paint scheme, an evolution of last year's scheme.

Wendy's will serve as the primary sponsor for IndyCar legend Helio Castroneves's #91 Trackhouse Racing entry. The four-time Indy 500 winner is guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500 thanks to the newly introduced provisional entry. If he fails to qualify on speed or doesn't advance through the Duels, he will secure the 41st entry.

The race weekend kicks off with practice and qualifying on Wednesday (Feb. 12), followed by the Duel races on Thursday. The Daytona 500 is set for Sunday (Feb. 16), at 2:30 PM ET.

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Toyota and Wendy's emerge as NASCAR's top advertisers

In a report published by Sport Business Journal on iSpot.tv data, Japanese manufacturer Toyota led the way in advertising spending during live NASCAR Cup Series races last season, spending an estimated $3.4 million. Fast-food chain Wendy's followed closely, shelling out $2.5 million on live TV advertisements.

Breztri Aerosphere COPD medication spent an estimated $2.46 million, Progressive spent $1.8 million, while Ford rounded out the top five spenders with $1.4 million. Other notable NASCAR sponsors and their ad spending include Verizon Business at $1.4 million, Busch Beer at $1.2 million, Goodyear, Straight Talk Wireless and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar at $1.1 million.

Toyota amassed over 500 million impressions with 23 TV spots aired over 229 times throughout the season. Wendy’s followed closely, generating 440 million impressions, while McDonald’s recorded 195 million impressions from its NASCAR Cup Series TV advertisements last season.