NASCAR has named Mack Trucks its official hauler after Freightliner left following a decade-long relationship. The deal with Mack Trucks is for multiple years and is a mix of guaranteed cash to NASCAR plus value in kind. Greensboro-based Mack will provide 11 of its long-haul Pinnacle highrise sleeper models to NASCAR that will transport equipment to all race weekends, which encapsulate 450,000 logged miles a year. In return, Mack gets rights to hospitality at all races, NASCAR marks and logos for marketing, and admission/speaking time at NASCAR’s B2B-centered Fuel for Business Council. Mack VP/Marketing John Walsh said the deal "brings together what I would call two great American brands." He also called the partnership a "very good fit when it comes to a platform to help us grow our business." Walsh: "If you look at the makeup of the NASCAR fanbase, a significant number of their fans are not only in the transportation industry, but are the ones who make the purchasing decisions for customers that we’re either already doing business with or targeting to do business with moving forward." NASCAR Exec VP & CMO Steve Phelps, who confirmed the sport "is overindexing significantly" against truck drivers, said that Mack's focus will be mostly B2B focused to start, but may eventually incorporate consumer-focused elements like radio advertising. Walsh said Mack is evaluating hiring a marketing agency, but did not divulge names.
