The American sports landscape is no stranger to commercial partnerships, with brands, cities and corporations routinely attaching their names to major events. NASCAR is no exception as naming rights have long been a central pillar of race sponsorship, often reflecting automotive, retail or industrial partners.
However, occasionally those deals have taken a more playful turn, venturing squarely into the world of pop culture. From cartoon characters to blockbuster movies, NASCAR has at times plastered the names of films and animated icons onto official race titles.
As the sport prepares for the 2026 season, live on SPOTV NOW, here are some of the most memorable moments when pop culture stepped onto the oval and shared the spotlight with roaring V8 engines.
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Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 with the Looney Tunes (2001 & 2002)
In the early 2000s, NASCAR embraced animation through a partnership with Looney Tunes, with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other characters featured heavily in race branding and promotions for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series round at the Richmond International Raceway. Despite the cartoon-heavy presentation, the on-track action remained intense. Ricky Rudd claimed victory in 2001, while Matt Kenseth won the 2002 edition.
Batman Begins 400 (2005)
With Batman Begins rebooting the Dark Knight franchise, NASCAR aligned itself with the summer blockbuster through race naming and extensive trackside promotion. The event at the Michigan International Speedway blended Hollywood marketing with high-speed racing on one of the calendar’s fastest ovals. On track, the late Greg Biffle delivered a dominant performance to take the win, underlining Roush Racing’s strength during that period.
Forgotten NASCAR lore: In 1998 The Joker and his henchmen tried to take over Charlotte Motor Speedway prior to the start of a Cup race, so Batman had to show up in the Batmobile and defeat him after a car chase through the quad oval.
Somehow we don’t talk about this. pic.twitter.com/hT7RVBP16v
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) November 5, 2025
SpongeBob SquarePants 400 (2015)
Few NASCAR race events were as visually striking as the SpongeBob SquarePants 400. Featuring Nickelodeon’s animated icon SpongeBob SquarePants, the event brought bright colours and unmistakable cartoon imagery to the Kansas Speedway. Amid the playful branding, the racing followed a familiar script: seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson took the win, adding another victory to his legendary career and finally banishing the ghost of the Flying Dutchman from 2004 (see below).
The @SpongeBob trophy! #SB400 pic.twitter.com/RWaGxi07S6
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 10, 2015
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 (2016)
The Chicagoland Speedway became the stage for this pop culture crossover in 2016 as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles branding took over the race name and promotional material. While Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael dominated the marketing, it was Martin Truex Jr. who dominated on the track, winning the race to mark his first multi-win season of his career.
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Tales of the Turtles 400 (2017)
A year later, NASCAR doubled down on its TMNT partnership as the pizza-loving heroes in a half shell returned to the Chicagoland Speedway. On the competitive front, Martin Truex Jr. again proved unstoppable, sealing his second consecutive victory at the venue, which played a key role in his march toward the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series championship.
We like Turtles.
Happy Hero in a Half Shell Day. #WorldTurtleDay 🐢🐢🐢🐢 pic.twitter.com/V4VmnEeSg5
— Chicagoland Speedway (@ChicagolndSpdwy) May 23, 2018
Bonus: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300 (2004)
Before SpongeBob reached the Cup Series, it appeared in the NASCAR Busch Series through the Charlotte Motor Speedway race promoting its 2004 movie, which was one of the earliest collaborations between Nickelodeon and NASCAR. Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch memorably ran SpongeBob-themed paint schemes for the occasion, but they finished behind race winner Mike Bliss.
Did you know that Mike Bliss won his first Busch Cup win at The Spongebob Squarepants Movie 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 2004
The race-winning trophy was Neptune’s Crown 👑 pic.twitter.com/99834FyghF
— Ty Jäger (@TheTyJager) March 25, 2023
