Motorsports
Why 818 Tequila tapped a NASCAR driver to accelerate cultural marketing
Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Founded in 2021 by Kendall Jenner, 818 Tequila has looked to distinguish itself by mixing a cocktail of spirits, fashion and digital culture to woo Gen Z and millennial consumers. The approach is working: While the tequila […]

Founded in 2021 by Kendall Jenner, 818 Tequila has looked to distinguish itself by mixing a cocktail of spirits, fashion and digital culture to woo Gen Z and millennial consumers. The approach is working: While the tequila category grew 2% in volume in 2024, 818 saw 40% year-over-year volume growth, per data shared by the brand.
The brand’s latest effort adds a shot of sports to its marketing. Last week, 818 announced its first national sports partnership, teaming with NASCAR driver Toni Breidinger, a 25-year-old star in both motor sports and fashion. For the brand, the collaboration serves several needs.
“Alcohol is a ground game — it’s all about the market — and NASCAR is really prevalent in a lot of these markets that we’re super-focused on right now,” said CMO Kathleen Braine. “Also, because we’re empowering a female driver in NASCAR, it’s really aligned to what Kendall has experienced as a female founder in the alcohol space. There’s a lot of alignment there.”
A vehicle for trailblazing
Breidinger is the first Arab-American woman to compete in NASCAR and holds a record for the most top-ten finishes by a female driver. She’s also the sport’s most-followed driver, with more than 5 million followers, and has partnered with brands including Gatorade, Celsius and Raising Cane’s. Her team reached out to 818 to initiate the deal.
“Sports partnerships, especially with alcohol, are really competitive, and we’re a really small brand, so it’s exciting that she was interested in partnering with us and felt that we were the right brand for her,” Braine said.

818 Tequila’s branding will be featured on Breidinger’s car and racing gear.
Permission granted by 818 Tequila
The brand will takeover the Nashville Speedway race on May 30 as Breidinger’s primary sponsor and host an exclusive VIP experience and after-party at the event, and 818 branding will be featured on Breidinger’s car and racing gear throughout the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. Along with an alignment of values, the partnership has a visual throughline as well.
“Vehicles have been part of our aesthetic and our marketing since the very beginning,” Braine said. “We also have a 1990s-2000s…style in our marketing — a lot of that is drawn from how NASCAR does branding.”
Amplifying experiences
The experiential aspects of 818’s partnership with Breidinger demonstrate what the brand has learned from other activations. The brand has been involved with Coachella for years and each iteration has seen an evolution of its efforts, from a gas station-themed pop-up in 2022 to an event for 1,500 attendees featuring a major musical act this month. The 818 Outpost is a model for bringing together consumers, influencers and trade partners.
“We’re looking for both their experience on that day to be perfect, and then also to see how that content can resonate with a broader audience nationally via social media,” Braine said.

Vehicles remain part of 818 Tequila’s brand aesthetic.
Permission granted by 818 Tequila
The 818 Outpost also included a pop-up element sponsored by Sprinter, the ready-to-drink vodka soda that is 818’s sister brand in more ways than one: the brand was founded by Kendall’s sister Kylie Jenner and, like 818, falls under the umbrella of the Calabasas Beverage Co. Braine, who is CMO for both brands, looks for marketing opportunities for a pair of beverages aimed at different drinking occasions.
“The branding is very different. 818’s aesthetic is very specific, and Sprinter has a bolder, sportier branding, but they work together really well when they need to, from a branding standpoint,” the executive said. “We like to have them each get their moments to shine when it makes sense.”
Motorsports
Trimble to become primary sponsor on Buescher, Preece NASCAR Cup Series cars beginning in 2025
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing has announced a multi-year sponsor partnership with Trimble, a global technology company that enables essential industries including construction, geospatial and transportation. FILE – Chris Buescher during driver introductions before two NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Daytona Beach, […]

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing has announced a multi-year sponsor partnership with Trimble, a global technology company that enables essential industries including construction, geospatial and transportation.

FILE – Chris Buescher during driver introductions before two NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
The collaboration debuts in the 2025 NASCAR season with Trimble being the primary sponsorship on Ryan Preece’s No. 60 Ford Mustang and Chris Buescher’s No. 17 Ford Mustang, beginning with Preece’s entry at Nashville Superspeedway on June 1.
It was also announced that Trimble will increase its involvement across RFK Racing’s full fleet in upcoming seasons, including Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford Mustang.
Motorsports
Trimble to become primary sponsor on Buescher, Preece NASCAR Cup Series cars beginning in 2025
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing announced Friday a multi-year sponsor partnership with Trimble beginning in the 2025… CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing announced Friday a multi-year sponsor partnership with Trimble beginning in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Trimble will be the primary sponsor on Ryan Preece’s No. 60 […]

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing announced Friday a multi-year sponsor partnership with Trimble beginning in the 2025…
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing announced Friday a multi-year sponsor partnership with Trimble beginning in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Trimble will be the primary sponsor on Ryan Preece’s No. 60 Ford Mustang and Chris Buescher’s No. 17 Ford Mustang, beginning with Preece’s entry at Nashville Superspeedway on June 1. In addition, it was announced that Trimble will increase its involvement across RFK Racing’s full fleet in upcoming seasons, including Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford Mustang.
Trimble is a global technology company that enables essential industries including construction, geospatial and transportation.
“This is a high-profile opportunity to expand awareness of Trimble by supporting a leading NASCAR team with a technology vision closely aligned with our own,” Trimble president and CEO Rob Painter said. “Both organizations focus on cohesive technology ecosystems and data-driven precision as the formula for winning in dynamic and intensely competitive environments.”
Trimble employs more than 12,000 people worldwide and serves customers in over 175 countries. The company reported $3.68 billion in revenue in 2024, according to a release.
“Partnering with a forward-thinking, technology-driven company like Trimble is a great fit for RFK Racing,” said Steve Newmark, president of RFK Racing. “Our team and Trimble operate in fast-paced, high-performance environments that demand precision and innovation. Their deep expertise and commitment to technology will bring valuable perspective and collaboration to our program.”
Trimble is also set to join the RFK TeK Alliance, a collaborative platform where technology-oriented sponsors work together to test and refine products in applied racing and operational environments.
“Every week in NASCAR feels like a science project, where we’re constantly testing, learning, and improving,” said RFK Racing driver and co-owner Brad Keselowski. “Partnering with Trimble allows us to do more of that work in the digital space, refining our performance virtually before we ever hit the track. That kind of innovation is not only smart, it’s essential in today’s competitive environment.”
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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Motorsports
William Byron Inks Four-Year Contract Extension With Hendrick…
“We’ve built something special with the No. 24 team,” said Byron. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue working with amazing people at Hendrick Motorsports who believe in me, especially Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick. We’ve accomplished some great things that we’re really proud of, but we have even bigger goals ahead. I’m excited to go […]
Motorsports
2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 odds, picks, prop bets: Expert who hit 17 winners loves 25-1 longshot
Christopher Bell will be looking to ride the momentum of his NASCAR All-Star Race win from last week when he seeks his fourth NASCAR Cup Series win of the year when he takes part in the 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. Bell also has wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Circuit […]

Christopher Bell will be looking to ride the momentum of his NASCAR All-Star Race win from last week when he seeks his fourth NASCAR Cup Series win of the year when he takes part in the 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. Bell also has wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Circuit of the Americas at Austin, Texas and Phoenix Raceway. He was second at the 2025 Advent Health 400 on May 11 and at the 2025 Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 30.
Kyle Larson is the +550 favorite, with Denny Hamlin at +650, Bell at +700, William Byron and Tyler Reddick at +750, and Ryan Blaney at +800 in the latest 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 odds, from DraftKings Sportsbook. Sunday’s race is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET. Before making any 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 picks or NASCAR predictions, you need to see what NASCAR insider Steven Taranto has to say.
Taranto, who moonlights as a sim racer and has 20 career wins in iRacing, is the lead NASCAR writer for CBSSports.com. He has an annual NASCAR medial credential and also publishes a popular weekly NASCAR predictions column, famously calling Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez’s breakthrough wins in 2022.
Taranto was red-hot for SportsLine in 2024 as he nailed 17 winners, including 16-1 longshot William Byron at the Daytona 500 and 14-1 longshot Chase Elliott at Texas. He correctly picked the Straight Talk Wireless 400 winner in Larson on March 23. Anyone following his NASCAR picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.
Now, Taranto has analyzed the starting lineup and odds for Sunday’s 2025 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He’s sharing his best bets at SportsLine. You can also use them to take advantage of the latest FanDuel promo code, DraftKings promo code or BetMGM promo code.
2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 expert picks
For the 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Taranto is high on Josh Berry at +2500 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. The 34-year-old driver is coming off a sixth-place finish at the 2025 Advent Health 400 at Kansas earlier this month. He has had some success this season. Of his 12 races run, he has placed in the top-10 three times, including a win at the 2025 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
He also took fourth at the 2025 Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway in March. He is in his third year at the NASCAR Cup Series level. In 52 races run, he has one win and nine top-10 finishes. He has also experienced success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, logging five wins, four poles and 52 top-10s in 97 races over an eight-year span. See which other drivers he’s backing at SportsLine.
Top NASCAR props for Charlotte Motor Speedway
Head-to-head: Taranto sees strong value in taking Kyle Larson (-125) to finish ahead of Denny Hamlin (-105). Larson, who is attempting to pull double duty with Indy 500 also on Sunday, has logged three wins over the past seven races this season, while Hamlin has two wins and a second-place finish at Phoenix in 2025. Larson, 32, was the series champion in 2021, and finished sixth overall last season. He has 32 career wins with 191 top-10 finishes and 22 poles.
But Hamlin has struggled of late, finishing 36th at Texas Motor Speedway at the Wurth 400, and 36th at the AdventHealth 400, both earlier this month. He was also 21st at the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega last month. Hamlin, 44, has posted 56 wins and 364 top-10 finishes in his career, with 43 poles. His best season finish came in 2010, when he placed second overall. See all of Taranto’s picks at SportsLine.
How to make 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 predictions
Taranto has also identified four other drivers in his 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 best bets. He’s also high on a huge NASCAR longshot who’s going off at over 40-1, potentially netting any backer a huge payday. You can only see who they are here.
So who wins the 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and which massive longshot could stun NASCAR? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway picks and best bets from a NASCAR insider who nailed a colossal 17 winners last year, and find out.
2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway odds, lineup
See full NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway picks at SportsLine
(odds subject to change)
Kyle Larson +550
Denny Hamlin +650
Christopher Bell +700
William Byron +750
Tyler Reddick +750
Ryan Blaney +800
Chase Elliott +1200
Kyle Busch +1200
Ty Gibbs +1800
Ross Chastain +1800
Joey Logano +1800
Chris Buescher +2200
Chase Briscoe +2500
Brad Keselowski +2500
Alex Bowman +2500
Josh Berry +2500
Bubba Wallace +3000
Austin Cindric +4000
Daniel Suarez +4000
Carson Hocevar +4500
Ryan Preece +4500
Connor Zilisch +5000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +5500
Noah Gragson +5500
Erik Jones +5500
Michael McDowell +6000
Austin Dillon +6500
A.J. Allmendinger +9000
Zane Smith +10000
John Hunter Nemechek +10000
Cole Custer +10000
Todd Gilliland +13000
Shane Van Gisbergen +15000
Justin Haley +15000
Ty Dillon +30000
Riley Herbst +40000
Cody Ware +50000
Jimmie Johnson +100000
Motorsports
Texas A&M’s Motorsports Marketing Strategy Hits Indy 500
If you find yourself this weekend asking if Felix Rosenqvist is an alum of Texas A&M (he’s not), you can thank a unique sponsorship between the racer and university for the upcoming Indianapolis 500. The driver of the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda signed an agreement on March 28 to adorn the school’s logo on his […]

If you find yourself this weekend asking if Felix Rosenqvist is an alum of Texas A&M (he’s not), you can thank a unique sponsorship between the racer and university for the upcoming Indianapolis 500.
The driver of the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda signed an agreement on March 28 to adorn the school’s logo on his helmet and driver suit for the entire 16-race IndyCar season. The $60,000 pact states that the branding must be visible from Rosenqvist’s in-car camera that’ll be used on Fox’s IndyCar broadcasts.
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It’s the second motorsports sponsorship deal pulled together by R. Ethan Braden, Texas A&M’s vice president and chief marketing officer. Braden said IndyCar and NASCAR saw prime opportunity to connect with a passionate alumni base of over 600,000 Aggies.
“We saw in Felix a top-five IndyCar driver with a terrific following, a terrific reputation,” he said in a video interview. “The placement of our advertisement to create the storytelling on his helmet is novel, because he’s one of the few that have an inboard camera.”
Rosenqvist is starting his second season with Meyer Shank Racing, which is owned by Michael Shank and four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves. Liberty Media also owns a minority stake.
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His car is already an attention-grabber as the livery is adorned by imagery promoting the rock band Creed, which has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts going back to Texas Rangers’ World Series run in 2023. (The multiplatinum record selling group reunited for its “Summer of ‘99” tour last year after splitting up in the early 2000s.)
“[Felix] is a terrific statesman,” Braden said of the Swedish-born driver. “He’s a terrific representative of the sport. He’s invested in veteran and military affairs, and so he’s just a great spokesperson for what we’re about, what we stand for, and why people should care.”
Texas A&M annually boasts of the nation’s largest student bodies with over 79,000 students as of last fall, including 61,000 undergraduates. Yet some officials at the public research university, with its deep military ties, feel the school doesn’t always get the spotlight of SEC peers like Alabama, Florida and in-state rival Texas.
In raising the school’s profile, Braden compared its marketing efforts to the Indy 500 itself. “The first 100 laps of the [Indy] 500 are about getting to the second 100 laps, right?” Braden said. “There’s a lot about grit there. There’s a lot about teamwork. There’s a lot of a culture and collaboration. That’s the story we want to tell.”
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The marriage between a university and motorsports is not a new one, as Braden previously put the two together while working at Purdue University in Indiana. NASCAR has marketing deals with several schools, including Alabama. Penn State, Auburn, Maryland and Virginia Tech have also advertised with the stock car racing organization.
Last October, Texas A&M agreed to be the primary sponsor for Stewart-Haas Racing for two NASCAR events at a cost of $160,000. Although Stewart-Haas ceased operations after the 2024 season, the school was pleased enough with the two races that it signed new $275,000 deal with Haas Factory Team, which carried on one of the Stewart-Haas charters.
In motorsports, particularly NASCAR and IndyCar, Braden said that the perception of their audiences being “old, White and Southern” is not the reality he saw when talking with both groups.
Research told Braden that 41% of NASCAR’s fan base is female, and 31% of all NASCAR fans have some connection to the military (veteran, currently enlisted or works adjacent to the military). He also found that “they have an incredible brand affinity that’s as good as any of the sports, frankly, better than any of them, besides maybe the NBA.”
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IndyCar doesn’t have the audience that NASCAR has, but Braden said its market is not all that different from the stock car circuit. That said, he wants to see how the Rosenqvist sponsorship—a relatively inexpensive one in his eyes—performs before committing to further marketing through IndyCar.
“It’s a helmet and fire suit sponsorship, an influencer sponsorship at the end of the day,” he said. “I want to see the data. I want to see what we get out of this in terms of our social media following, in terms of earned media exposure, etc.”
In terms of what’s next for Texas A&M’s sponsorships in and out of motorsports, Braden said that its president, four-star retired general Mark Welsh, encourages him to be bold. He also has a certain weekend in mind that will excite the school’s community.
“It’s not lost on me that there’s a very exciting 2026 race in Arlington,” he said of IndyCar’s Grand Prix of that’s scheduled for next March. “The Aggies will show up and show out incredibly well. I do have my eyes on ‘26 in Arlington.”
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Motorsports
NASCAR Charlotte full weekend schedule, TV schedule for Cup Series race
NASCAR is at its home track this weekend with all national series racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including the Cup Series with the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25. The ARCA Menards Series and Craftsman Truck Series are racing on May 23, while the Xfinity Series returns after three weeks off on May 24. The Cup […]

NASCAR is at its home track this weekend with all national series racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including the Cup Series with the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25.
The ARCA Menards Series and Craftsman Truck Series are racing on May 23, while the Xfinity Series returns after three weeks off on May 24.
The Cup Series will race its longest race by distance of the year with the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday.
Here is the full on-track schedule in Charlotte:
BUY Coca-Cola 600 tickets here!
All times Central; on-track activity at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Friday, May 23
12:30 p.m. — ARCA Menards Series practice and qualifying, No TV
2:30 p.m. — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice and qualifying, FS2
5 p.m. — General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race (100 laps, 150 miles), FS1 (Watch FREE on Fubo)
7:30 p.m. — Heart of Health Care 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race (134 laps, 201 miles), FS1 (Watch FREE on Fubo)
Saturday, May 24
10 a.m. — NASCAR Xfinity Series practice and qualifying, CW app
12:30 p.m. — NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying, Amazon Prime Video
3:30 p.m. — BetMGM 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race (200 laps, 300 miles), CW Network (Watch FREE on Fubo)
Sunday, May 25
5 p.m. — Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race (400 laps, 600 miles), Amazon Prime Video and MAX (in-car cameras)
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