Chip Ganassi Racing and Wallace share McDonald's as a sponsorGETTY IMAGES
NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace is exploring his team options for ’21, and while a return to Richard Petty Motorsports is one of them, another possibility that has emerged is with Chip Ganassi Racing and sponsor McDonald’s, sources say. Wallace has been the full-time driver of RPM’s No. 43 Chevy since ’18, and his initial one-year deal was later renewed for two more. Now the impending expiration of his deal comes amid his stock having gone up in recent months with massive mainstream exposure and the notion that this could result in newfound sponsorship opportunities. Sources say that a return to RPM remains a legitimate possibility, but that his reps are exploring all options and that CGR’s No. 42 Chevy has emerged as another option because both Ganassi and Wallace share McDonald’s as a common partner. McDonald’s main deal in NASCAR is with CGR, but the QSR has also become a backer of Wallace in recent years, doing one-off paint schemes and featuring him in social media marketing. It was not clear how advanced the talks between Wallace and CGR are. Ganassi has been considering several driver options for next year, including Ross Chastain, who is already affiliated with the team, and Matt Kenseth, who is the incumbent driver after he replaced Kyle Larson mid-season following Larson’s racial slur incident. Execs at RPM say they remain hopeful that Wallace will return there next season. Neither team would comment on the record for this report.
