McDonald's is returning to the fertile marketing grounds of the Cup series. Credit: David Taylor/Getty Images

McDonald's on board, and Evernham lovin' it

It's no secret that corporations look at NASCAR and see not stock cars or hot racing action, but numbers. Numbers to make even the most hard-bitten executive salivate on command.

So why, then, does McDonald's, which has most likely lost count of the number of persons it has served since Ray Kroc opened his first hamburger stand in the 1950s, keep coming back to NASCAR? For information's sake, McDonald's serves 47 million people each day at 30,000 restaurants in 120 countries around the world, so it's not about the money ... or at least it's not all about the money.

To answer the question, sponsors like McDonald's become affiliated with NASCAR for alliances, partnerships and leverage. Leveraging a NASCAR sponsorship is one of the easier missions to accomplish these days; with a fan base of 75 million, it's almost a mortal lock.

	Credit: David Taylor/Getty Images
	Inside the Numbers Bill Elliott's statistics when McDonald's was his primary sponsor Year Races W T5 T10 1995 31 0 4 11 1996 24 0 0 6 1997 32 0 5 14 1998 32 0 0 5 1999 34 0 1 2 2000 32 0 3 7 Totals 185 0 13 45

We've often discussed the legendary loyalty of NASCAR fans, and it's a huge motivating factor in any business arrangement with the sport. Hardee's was the first big restaurant chain to make a move to NASCAR, with Cale Yarborough, and the push Hardee's received was enough to propel the company to new heights.

McDonald's followed suit, first with car owner Junior Johnson (with Hut Stricklin as the primary driver in 1993 and Jimmy Spencer in '94) and then with owner/driver Bill Elliott, and the result was a marketing and business success.

With the Hardee's/McDonald's invasion came a wave of "non-endemic" sponsors into NASCAR, which had been primarily dominated by beer, tobacco and auto parts companies. Coca-Cola had tried the waters in NASCAR for a few seasons, as had Pepsi (through its Mountain Dew brand), but the restaurant chains were a completely different deal.

McDonald's hit the Busch Series for the first time this season, teaming with Jason Keller and Team Rensi, and now comes news that McDonald's will rejoin the Nextel Cup ranks with Evernham Motorsports.

This isn't about visibility. The Golden Arches stand right next to the Statue of Liberty in terms of recognition and the company is as much a part of American culture as mom, apple pie and Disneyland. It's about alliances and partnerships.

By teaming with Evernham, McDonald's leverages a popular team owner, his drivers Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield, and the redoubtable Elliott, with whom McDonald's enjoyed success as a primary sponsor for Elliott's own team from 1995-2000.

"McDonald's is thrilled to partner with Evernham Motorsports, which is one of the premier teams in the popular Nextel Cup Series," said John Lewicki, McDonald's senior director of alliance marketing. "Being aligned with a quality owner in Ray Evernham along with a legend in Bill Elliott and a young star in Kasey Kahne will only enhance the McDonald's brand with NASCAR's loyal fan following. This is a great fit since McDonald's, Evernham Motorsports and Bill Elliott Racing parallel each other as leaders of their respective industries."

Marketing-speak aside, this is the primary reason that the company is spending money on NASCAR again. The arches will be on both Kahne's No. 9 and Elliott's No. 91 as associate sponsors, with a two-race primary for Elliott (at Michigan and California).

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Likewise, this is another vehicle for Evernham in his quest for visibility for his teams. "McDonald's is one of the best known brands in the world and it's an honor to have them join our team," Evernham said. "McDonald's global reach and innovative marketing programs will provide a whole new level of awareness for our team."

Kahne, who is 24 years old, "grew up on Happy Meals and Value Meals," so he's pumped about the program. "I've always been a big fan of McDonald's, so it's perfect that they're now a sponsor," he said.

Elliott wore the red and yellow colors for six seasons as owner of Bill Elliott Motorsports, and he's looking forward to the resumption of the relationship.

Motorsports and McDonald's, at least in recent years, seem to go together like, well, a cheeseburger and fries. The company sponsored Willy T. Ribbs in 1991 when he became the first black to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, and last year was the primary sponsor of Newman/Haas in the Champ Car World Series. Sebastian Bourdais won the series title with the arches on the engine cover.

So that's why McDonald's, and companies like it, keep returning to the fertile marketing grounds of NASCAR. In Evernham, the company has a viable team owner and organization upon which to spend its money. Evernham has the power of a household name so that he can in turn leverage other sponsors.

It's the way the racing world works now, and McDonald's is indeed lovin' it.