Mack Named Official NASCAR Hauler, Gives Circuit 11 Customized Sleepers
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Mack Trucks has become the new official hauler of NASCAR, providing a fleet of custom-designed vehicles to transport the sport’s equipment and technology to racetracks across the country.
The announcement of the multiyear deal was made here Feb. 16 during Daytona 500 media day.
“Mack and NASCAR are two fundamentally American brands, and we couldn’t be more excited to join forces and serve as the ‘official hauler of NASCAR,’ ” said John Walsh, Mack’s vice president of marketing.
The formal announcement of the partnership was made in the jampacked media room at Daytona International Speedway, home of NASCAR’s most prestigious race that kicks off the new season each February.
The news conference came at the conclusion of the morning press session, which included drivers Greg Biffle, Danica Patrick and 2001 Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip.
Walsh was joined by Steve Phelps, an executive vice president of NASCAR. In his opening comments to journalists, Phelps praised Mack’s commitment to the success of the sport through the sponsorship.
Later, in an interview, he shared just how vital trucks are to NASCAR, which has to create a “mini-Super Bowl week to week to week.”
“That certainly makes our sport far more unique than stick and ball sports, because the infrastructure is already there,” Phelps said. “You take whatever you need and fly to a particular city — ours is done through trucks.”
He said the previous 10-year deal with Freightliner “had run its course,” and NASCAR sought out Mack to develop a fresh partnership.
During the press conference, Walsh spoke of the well-documented strong brand loyalty shown by NASCAR fans and pointed out that every truck Mack sells in North America is built in the United States.
As for that rabid fan base, he said, many are “transportation industry decision makers” and truck drivers.
Walsh said the driver shortage means that their opinions on what brands to purchase matter more than ever. Becoming even more visible through the NASCAR pact will make a difference, he said.
“We have the ability to put our brand in front of millions of race fans — both at the races as well as the various channels that NASCAR uses to engage with its fans,” he added.
One of the Pinnacle tractors was parked where the media center, fan zone and victory lane all converge.
Walsh said that “a joint objective is to have the trucks displayed as prominently as possible at every race event” and that the tractor-trailers serve as “rolling billboards” for both brands as they travel the highways.
He also said the deal gives the company the opportunity to provide “up-close, unforgettable experiences” for customers.
Under the agreement, Mack provided NASCAR 11 Pinnacle sleeper models, 10 of which will be in service throughout the 36-race, 10-month season. The additional tractor is kept in reserve when any maintenance is required.
Phelps said the trucks haul items ranging from scales to inspection equipment and other technology needed to set up pit row each week.
He estimated that each truck logs about 65,000 miles over the course of the racing season.
Each custom-spec’d Pinnacle is equipped with Mack’s 13-liter MP8 engine and mDrive automated manual transmission. The trucks also feature the GuardDog Connect telematics system.
Support for the fleet of Pinnacle models will be led by TranSource Truck & Trailer Center, a Mack dealer with seven locations in North Carolina.
Initially, the trucks traveled from NASCAR’s offices in North Carolina to Daytona Beach. After the Feb. 21 race, they head to Atlanta and then Las Vegas in the next two weeks. The season concludes Nov. 20 in Miami.
In response to questions about trucking during media availability sessions, several NASCAR drivers said they had no experience driving big rigs and lamented the vehicles were too slow for their tastes.
However, Michael McDowell said he does on occasion get behind the wheel and still logs miles driving his motor coach.
While joking it might be nice to one day own a private plane like some of the most successful drivers on the circuit, having “windshield time” out on the nation’s highways provides him peaceful “time to reflect” away from the pressures of racing.
Meanwhile for Mack, the Daytona event was the latest in a series of announcements this year.
Earlier this month at the World of Concrete Show, it announced that four dealer locations in Arizona, Alabama, Missouri and Canada had achieved the Mack Certified Uptime Center designation. The certification evaluates locations on 28 elements aimed at speeding up the repair process. Mack also said GuardDog Connect is standard in TerraPro cabover models equipped with an MP engine.
Last month, Mack approved the use of renewable diesel in its engines. The fuel, which Mack said offers similar performance to diesel refined from petroleum, reduces greenhouse gas and particulate emissions.
