Photo Credit: Chip Ganassi Racing
It was announced on August 15 Jamie McMurray, driver of the No.1 McDonalds Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing, would be sporting the “Mac Tonight” paint scheme originally used on NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott’s car in 1997 for the 2016 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Mac Tonight had a crescent moon for his head and played the piano while wearing sunglasses singing the popular jingle “Mac Tonight.” The car itself was midnight blue and was covered in stars. Notably, Mac Tonight’s crescent moon will light up the night during the race Labor day weekend.
McMurray has been sponsored by McDonalds since 2010 and is the longest driver in NASCAR to keep their sponsorship. This will be the second consecutive year that Darlington will have the “Throwback Weekend” for the Southern 500 celebrating NASCAR’s past as well as the current starts and the future of the sport.
“Longtime fans of NASCAR will have fond memories when they see the ‘throwback’ Mac Tonight paint scheme,” Douglas Freeland, U.S. Director Sports and Entertainment Alliances, McDonlads USA said. “We are thrilled that McDonald’s longest tenured driver, Jamie McMurray, will pilot this car at Darlington.”
“I am excited that McDonald’s is bringing back the Mac Tonight paint scheme for this race,” McMurray added. “Last year was so much fun to see all the different throwback looks that teams had for the Southern 500 race. I think that Darlington has done a great job to get so many of the teams to participate and have a unique weekend to celebrate the history of NASCAR”.
