CONCORD, N.C. – A special NASCAR Cup Series race on a special holiday weekend calls for some special paint.
In what has become a Memorial Day Weekend tradition, the Coca-Cola 600, one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events, will be held at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday evening. The longest endurance race on the sport’s yearly schedule, the event also serves as an occasion to remember and pay homage to the men and women who sacrificed their lives in the military.
To that point, each car will bear the name of a fallen service member.
A mix of speed and a little patriotism, all four schemes will look a little different this week when it comes to the Hendrick Motorsports contingent. That includes Kyle Larson’s. His No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy will again sport papaya accents as he makes his second attempt at the #H1100 by running the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day.
Here’s a preview of how all four cars will look when they hit the 1.5-mile quad-oval this weekend:
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Chase Elliott has been NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver for the last eight seasons, carrying the torch passed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Elliott won the award an eighth consecutive time after edging out Cup Series runner-up Denny Hamlin, who endured championship heartbreak in Phoenix, Arizona, last month.
The torch Elliott carries as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver, denying Denny Hamlin a shock win in this year’s vote, was previously carried by Earnhardt Jr., who won the award 15 consecutive times before retiring from full-time racing in 2017.
However, despite Elliott’s lengthy stint at the top of NASCAR’s popularity chart, Earnhardt Jr.’s long-lasting legacy remains clear. It comes as Earnhardt Jr. knows what NASCAR’s recent settlement means for him entering Cup Series.
Lionel Racing, NASCAR’s official die-cast manufacturer, announced its top-selling model of 2025, highlighting the collectibles that captured the most attention from fans this year. At the top of the list was Justin Allgaier’s Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet for Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports.
The model marks JR Motorsports’ debut in the Cup Series and also delivers Allgaier his first appearance atop Lionel Racing’s annual best-seller rankings. The 2025 Daytona 500 Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet quickly emerged as a fan favorite. It captures a landmark moment for both the organization and its driver.
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Earnhardt Jr.’s Budweiser Speedway Classic Late Model Chevrolet also took second place ahead of Allgaier’s Traveller Whiskey Raced Version Chevrolet in third, and Elliott’s NAPA Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Echopark Win Chevrolet in fourth.
Following last season’s entry into the Daytona 500, JR Motorsports will attempt to compete again in next February’s race. However, entry into the race is not guaranteed, as they will attempt to qualify as an “open” team.
Earnhardt Jr. has admitted feeling nervous ahead of JR Motorsports’ second attempt. “Well, Kelley will tell you that we race. We got a chance to go race, we race. We just wanna race,” Earnhardt said on Monday’s Dale Jr. Download.
“The Daytona 500 is the most important race of the season, and I would say that it, for an open team or anybody that wants to enter the race, that probably is the best opportunity financially to do it and not lose money.
“It costs a significant amount of money to run any race, Talladega or whatever. If you wanna go run in the middle of the year or a couple races throughout the year, harder to make the financial work in them other events. This one, we’re just presented with opportunity to go do it. We got some partners that wanna go help us fund it.”
Dale Jr. will not be behind the wheel. Instead, it will be Allgaier again — and fans will be keen to see what JR Motorsports does with the car this year following last season’s iconic livery. “Our shop gets excited about it. They feel like it’s their effort,” Earnhardt continued. “You see Rodney Childers chiming in on social media and you see our employees get pumped about the idea because it’s their car.
“It’s our flagship. But I will say this, more than likely, I don’t know for sure 100 percent, but if I had it my way, we would go with exactly the same components, people and personnel as we did last year. Justin’s gonna drive the car. Last year, we had Greg Ives as the crew chief. We had [Barry] Hoover come out of retirement, my old car chief guy. I would have everything as it was. That was a great, fun group of people. They all wanted to be there, they all cared about it. That hopefully comes together.”
Arby’s has the meats, and, by proxy, so too does JR Motorsports. On Tuesday, the race team announced a multi-year partnership with the fast food chain that boasts a lineup of more than 3,500 locations in six global markets. Arby’s, which is never afraid to get its message across, is a major asset as a sponsorship partner, according to Dale Earnhardt Jr., the co-owner of JR Motorsports.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to have Arby’s partner up with our companies,” said Earnhardt Jr. in a press release. “Arby’s is very aggressive with their activation and we pride ourselves on being a tremendous asset when it comes to offering a variety of unique marketing platforms, so I’m looking forward to how we can work together to continue to grow their business.”
For the 2026 season, Arby’s will serve as an eight-race primary sponsorship partner of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series team, and the eight race commitment will be shared between three drivers in the JR Motorsports stable.
Carson Kvapil will kick off the partnership with Arby’s as he will carry the brand’s colors on the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the event at EchoPark Speedway on Saturday, February 21. In all, Kvapil will carry the Arby’s logo in four races in 2026, while Sammy Smith (3) and Justin Allgaier (1) will fill out the rest of the Arby’s primary sponsorship slate.
Allgaier will also carry the company’s logo as a full-season associate sponsor on his No. 7 Chevrolet in 2026.
In addition to the sponsorship of the JR Motorsports team in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Arby’s will also enter into a personal service agreement with Earnhardt Jr., who is a NASCAR Hall of Fame driver, and Arby’s will also partner with Earnhardt Jr.’s media company, Dirty Mo Media.
“We’re thrilled to begin this multi-year partnership with JRM and Dirty Mo Media,” said Jeff Baker, Chief Marketing Officer at Arby’s. “Arby’s has always been about delivering high-quality, impactful experiences with speed. Joining forces with such respected organizations in the racing community allows us to connect with NASCAR fans in meaningful new ways – both on and off the track. Plus, Arby’s food makes everything better, and can’t wait to deliver with JRM and Dale Jr. all season long.”
Last year, Arby’s served as a primary sponsorship partner for Rick Ware Racing, and its driver, Cody Ware, in 12 NASCAR Cup Series events.
JR Motorsports announced Tuesday a multi-year partnership with Arby’s beginning with the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. Arby’s, the popular fast-food chain, will serve as a primary sponsor eight O’Reilly Auto Parts events this upcoming season with drivers Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier.
In addition, Arby’s will serve as a season-long associate partner for Allgaier and the No. 7 team. Arby’s JRM debut will come with Kvapil and the No. 1 team at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta on Saturday, Feb. 21.
Arby’s will sponsor Kvapil at Atlanta, Rockingham Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway. Smith will carry the Arby’s banner at Talladega Superspeedway, Naval Base Coronado (San Diego) and the Charlotte ROVAL. Allgaier will have Arby’s as a primary sponsor at Darlington Raceway.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to have Arby’s partner up with our companies,” JRM co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “Arby’s is very aggressive with their activation, and we pride ourselves on being a tremendous asset when it comes to offering a variety of unique marketing platforms, so I’m looking forward to how we can work together to continue to grow their business.”
JR Motorsports, Arby’s enter into a multi-year partnership
It’s another landmark day for JRM, arguably the best and deepest team in the series. JRM has won four championships– all since 2014. This past season, Kvapil, Allgaier and Connor Zilisch made up three of the four spots in the Championship 4.
Zilisch had a historic season. He won 10 races and set a record with 18 consecutive top five finishes. However, it was Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love who took the checkered flag in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway to win the championship.
JRM will return in 2026, looking to win another championship. Arby’s, along with JRM’s other partners, would love to see that.
“We’re thrilled to begin this multi-year partnership with JRM and Dirty Mo Media,” said Jeff Baker, chief marketing officer at Arby’s. “Arby’s has always been about delivering high-quality, impactful experiences with speed. Joining forces with such respected organizations in the racing community allows us to connect with NASCAR fans in meaningful new ways – both on and off the track. Plus, Arby’s food makes everything better and can’t wait to deliver with JRM and Dale Jr. all season long.”
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 09: NASCAR Hall of Famer and JR Motorsports owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to Justin Allgaier, driver of the #7 BRANDT Chevrolet, winning the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on November 09, 2024 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
JR Motorsports announced a multi-year partnership with Arby’s that will begin during the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. Arby’s will serve as a primary sponsor for eight races in 2026 and will also appear as a season-long associate partner on Justin Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet.
The agreement includes a personal services deal with JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. The partnership brings together JR Motorsports, Arby’s, and Dirty Mo Media as part of a broader marketing effort tied to racing and fan engagement.
The agreement also expands Arby’s involvement in NASCAR through digital media, in-market promotions, and coordinated campaigns designed to reach fans during race weekends and throughout the season.
Arby’s race schedule and driver assignments
JR Motorsports confirmed that Arby’s will serve as a primary sponsor across multiple cars during the 2026 season. Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith, and Justin Allgaier will all carry Arby’s branding as part of the eight-race sponsorship package.
The partnership begins with Kvapil and the No. 1 Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Feb. 21, 2026. Arby’s will appear on Kvapil’s car for four races during the season. Smith’s No. 8 Chevrolet will feature the brand for three events, while Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet will carry Arby’s sponsorship for one race as a primary partner.
In addition to the eight primary races, Arby’s will remain on Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet as a season-long associate sponsor. The Atlanta race is scheduled to air on CW, with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to new partnership
Dale Earnhardt Jr. addressed the agreement in the team’s official announcement and pointed to the marketing potential between the organizations.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to have Arby’s partner up with our companies, Earnhardt said .” “Arby’s is very aggressive with their activation and we pride ourselves on being a tremendous asset when it comes to offering a variety of unique marketing platforms, so I’m looking forward to how we can work together to continue to grow their business.”
Earnhardt Jr. will also take part in promotional efforts as part of the personal services agreement. Those activities will be handled in coordination with Dirty Mo Media.
Arby’s leadership and team background
Arby’s Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Baker also commented on the partnership in the JR Motorsports release.
“We’re thrilled to begin this multi-year partnership with JRM and Dirty Mo Media, Baker said.” “Arby’s has always been about delivering high-quality, impactful experiences with speed. Joining forces with such respected organizations in the racing community allows us to connect with NASCAR fans in meaningful new ways, both on and off the track.”
JR Motorsports is co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller, and Rick Hendrick. The organization competes full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and has won championships in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2024. The team currently fields four full-time entries.
Arby’s was founded in 1964 and operates more than 3,500 restaurants across six global markets. The company is part of Inspire Brands. Additional details, including paint schemes and promotional plans, are expected to be released ahead of the 2026 season.
Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce
Arby’s will sponsor JR Motorsports’ NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series teams in 2026, JRM announced Dec. 16.
The fast food chain will be a primary sponsor for eight races in 2026, split between drivers Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Carson Kvapil.
It’ll also be an associate sponsor for Allgaier’s No. 7 for the full season.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to have Arby’s partner up with our companies,” JRM’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in a team release. “Arby’s is very aggressive with their activation and we pride ourselves on being a tremendous asset when it comes to offering a variety of unique marketing platforms, so I’m looking forward to how we can work together to continue to grow their business.”
Justin Allgaier, JRM Attempting 2nd-Straight Daytona 500 in 2026
Kvapil’s No. 1 will be sponsored in four events, kicking off at EchoPark Speedway. Smith’s No. 8 will have three races with Arby’s, followed by Allgaier with one.
All three drivers ran full time for JRM in 2025. Allgaier earned three wins, 15 top fives and 20 top 10s, while Kvapil scored seven top fives and 14 top 10s and Smith nabbed one win, eight top fives and 18 top 10s.
Executive EditoratFrontstretch
Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.
At his day job, he’s a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio — you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.
