NASCAR and Coca-Cola through the years

By Zack Albert, NASCAR.com | Published: January 15, 2018 14

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Coca-Cola's ties to stock-car racing run deep, with the corporation's connection to NASCAR extending past the 50-year milestone. The partnership -- which includes a sponsorship deal with drivers including Joey Logano, seen here swigging a Coke in Victory Lane last spring -- continues into its 20th season as an Official Partner of NASCAR. A look at Coca-Cola, the official soft drink of NASCAR, and its links to stock-car racing through the years.

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Coca-Cola came aboard for several NASCAR events in 1970, sponsoring the winged No. 36 of Don Tarr. The Coke ribbon trademark was featured prominently on both sides of the car.

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Among the earliest major sponsorship deals reached by Coca-Cola in NASCAR was its backing of Hall of Famer Bobby Allison in the 1970s. Here, Allison toasts a victory at the former Ontario (Calif.) Motor Speedway in 1974.

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Coca-Cola's iconic colors were on full display for Bobby Allison, car owner Junior Johnson and his crew at this early season photo shoot in 1972.

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Allison stands alongside his red-and-gold Coca-Cola Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway in 1972. The paint scheme became one of the decade's most memorable in NASCAR racing.

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Making the color combination even more memorable were the snazzy Coke-themed uniforms worn by Allison's pit crew, seen here at Darlington Raceway in 1972.

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A pair of Coca-Cola-branded racers hit the high banks at Daytona in 1976, with Earl Ross (No. 52) battling alongside David Hobbs.

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Coca-Cola also extended its reach into race entitlement sponsorship, including the Coca-Cola 500 at Atlanta. NASCAR Hall of Famer Benny Parsons won the 1984 running, securing the final victory of his career.

Coca-Cola served as title sponsor from 1981-85 for the springtime race at the Hampton, Georgia track, just south of its downtown Atlanta headquarters.

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Coca-Cola landed another major sponsorship deal in the mid-1980s, taking over naming rights of NASCAR's longest race. The name changed from the World 600 to the Coca-Cola World 600 in 1985. Darrell Waltrip had a Coke and a smile in Victory Lane that year, surviving in a fuel-conservation contest at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The long-running partnership continues today with the Coca-Cola 600 held annually on Memorial Day weekend.

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Coca-Cola's commitment to the 600-mile race dovetails with commemorative events through the NASCAR Salutes initiative to honor the U.S. military. Austin Dillon, a member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family, did his part to honor the troops with a visit to soldiers in Fort Bragg in North Carolina ahead of the 2014 edition of the Coca-Cola 600.

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Coca-Cola also has branched into NASCAR sponsorship with other brands, most notably Mello Yello and Coke Zero. Since 2008, the annual July race for NASCAR's premier series at Daytona International Speedway has been called the Coke Zero Powered by Coca-Cola 400.

Here, Kasey Kahne celebrates a NASCAR Xfinity Series win in the Daytona infield grass in 2014.

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Coca-Cola got into the NASCAR Throwback Weekend groove in 2016, conjuring up images of Bobby Allison's paint scheme with this tribute on Tony Stewart's No. 14.

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The Stewart-Haas Racing crew was also outfitted in retro Coca-Cola gear, down to the details in their splashy red-and-white work pants in the Darlington Raceway garage.

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Coca-Cola has long maintained relationships with drivers through its Coca-Cola Racing Family program. Denny Hamlin, a family member, celebrates with soft drink in hand during a 2017 trip to Victory Lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Hamlin, Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, Daniel Suarez and Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. comprise the Coca-Cola Racing Family.