Despite seeming odd on first glance, there is a noticeable canine presence in NASCAR.
Our pets are part of our lives, just as deeply ingrained as sports are. So it’s no surprise that they would appear in various roles within sports, either, and NASCAR is no different.
There is a canine presence across all three national series.
Kyle Busch, the 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, drives for powerhouse team Joe Gibbs Racing, with his primary sponsorship coming from supercompany Mars, Inc., most often advertising M&Ms. But for a decade now, Pedigree Dog Food has appeared several times per season on the No. 18 Toyota Camry, and occasionally Banfield Pet Hospital shows up as well.
Busch owns his own championship-winning team, Kyle Busch Motorsports, in the Camping World Truck Series (think Double-A baseball), and Pedigree, Royal Canin and Banfield Pet Hospital all often appear on his trucks, most notably the No. 4 Toyota Tundra of Todd Gilliland.
In the XFINITY Series (think Triple-A baseball), Chase Briscoe of Roush Fenway Racing has been sponsored by Nutri Chomps dog treats in roughly half his races this season. RFR’s top-notch social media team gets fully invested in this partnership:
Wish the rain would hold off here at @IMS, I want to rip some laps around this place in the @nutri_chomps car. pic.twitter.com/AuzeaByb8r
— Chase Briscoe (@ChaseBriscoe_14) September 7, 2018
This is Chuck, official corgi of the Roush Fenway twitter guy. He’s more of a short track racer, but he’s excited to see the #NutriChomps team at @IMS anyways! pic.twitter.com/frDGaVVGvd
— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) September 7, 2018
Many fans bring their pup to the racetrack to join in the fun of camping, too, as was the case with this cool German Shepherd earlier in the summer at Michigan International Speedway:
Standing by just in case anyone needs a ‘bark-up’ driver at Michigan. 🐶 pic.twitter.com/qL7bxyKFD2
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 11, 2018
Furthermore, NASCAR is partnering with NBC Sports and the Animal League network of shelters, putting on an ongoing adoption event known as the “NASCAR Pup Series” at various racetracks each weekend.
We're happy to announce the @NASCAR #PupSeries!
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 5, 2018
All of these adorable pups, such as Bark'in Truex Jr. and Paw-Stin Dillon, are available for adoption through @AnimalLeague! Join us we go across the country! pic.twitter.com/xpJfkv2ovD
Former driver Dale Earnhardt Jr regularly tweets about his dogs’ doings:
I do not understand my dogs. They would rather drink off the shower floor than fresh water from a bowl. smh
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) March 21, 2017
Dallas, one of the dogs of Danica Patrick, NASCAR’s most successful female driver, became so much of a superstar by association that she became a plush toy. (Dallas is on the right in this photo.)
Dallas once operated her own Twitter account, though it hasn’t been updated in quite a while.
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