“Talladega Nights” tribute cars to race in 2023 YellaWood 500
Stewart-Haas Racing is ready to Shake and Bake. The NASCAR Cup Series team will enter two “Talladega Nights” tribute cars in this weekend’s YellaWood 500 race at, where else, Talladega Superspeedway.
Two of Stewart-Haas’ four Ford Mustangs will get the special liveries, both pulled straight from the 2006 comedy which starred Will Ferrell as clueless-but-talented NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby. John C. Reilly played Bobby’s best friend and fellow driver Cal Naughton Jr.
Ryan Preece will drive the number 41 Wonder Bread car in a faithful recreation of Ricky Bobby’s ride (minus the Fig Newtons sticker on the windshield, that is). Chase Briscoe’s number 14 Mustang will cosplay as Cal Naughton Jr.’s car with an Old Spice livery. The other two Stewart-Haas cars—the number 4 of Kevin Harvick and the number 10 of Aric Almirola—will run with their usual liveries.
Wonder Bread and Old Spice have signed on as actual sponsors for the weekend. They’ll have displays at the track and Wonder Bread will also have a display featuring Preece’s number 41 Mustang at 2,000 stores throughout Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
As is obligatory for any NASCAR promotion, Stewart-Haas will also have Wonder Bread and Old Spice-branded merchandise for sale.
This won’t be the first time a real-life NASCAR team has paid homage to “Talladega Nights.” In 2012, Kurt Busch ran a Ricky-Bobby inspired livery, also at Talladega.
Preece and Briscoe have yet to visit the podium, let alone victory lane, this season, so a race win for either car is unlikely. But the cars should look good on track, especially if Preece and Briscoe have a chance to run close together and use their movie counterparts’ slingshot move.