NASCAR has no shortage of iconic schemes. Budweiser, M&M’s, Interstate Batteries, and GM Goodwrench are only some examples. However, some fans place McDonald’s above the rest due to the designs on the respective cars or the drivers the company sponsored. These are our 10 favorite McDonald’s cars.
No. 10 – Dripping ketchup
On paper, a ketchup car should not be appealing. In reality, 23XI Racing nailed this design. Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota featured a white base with red up top. It dripped down onto the bottom of the car as if someone had knocked over a container of ketchup. This relatively simple design just worked.
No. 9 – 1996 classic McDonald’s red
A classic McDonald’s scheme, this design became iconic for numerous NASCAR fans. Obviously, having the most popular driver of the era controlling it certainly helped. Yet, it’s hard to argue with something so simple and clean. This design did not require so many elements that it became “busy.”
No. 8 – Flying fries
23XI Racing has featured numerous McDonald’s schemes with Kurt Busch, Bubba Wallace, and Reddick behind the wheel. Some drew praise for their designs while others left NASCAR fans a little disappointed. This scheme from this season’s Chicago Street Race delivered. It had red “ketchup” in the front and fries tumbling through the air on the back. This made it appear that the car was so fast that the fries just flew away.
No. 7 – The full meal
The 2022 playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is likely low on Wallace’s list of favorite races. After all, he wrecked Kyle Larson and received a one-race suspension. However, his McDonald’s scheme remains memorable for the right reasons. This car featured the classic colors of the chain restaurant, as well as a Big Mac and some fries on the doors. It’s the type of design that made fans hungry as it raced past.
No. 6 – The black swirl
Jamie McMurray had no shortage of McDonald’s schemes during his time in the No. 1 Chevrolet, some of which featured Cessna as a co-primary sponsor. One of his standout designs had a twist on the classic colors. This car featured the red and yellow, as well as a black swirl to break up the scheme. This swirl also resembled part of a road course.
No. 5 – McDonald’s in Mexico City
How do you take a classic scheme and make it special for a one-off event? You change the slogans to match the local language while keeping the classic colors and logos. McDonald’s did this in 2007. Bobby Hamilton’s No. 35 Ford Fusion featured “me encanta” on the hood, which translates to “I love” and references a thing instead of a person.
No. 4 – McDonald’s Monopoly
The color scheme of McMurray’s Monopoly McDonald’s car did not appeal to many people. That’s perfectly fine. This car remains memorable for multiple reasons, including the Monopoly Man in a top hat and sunglasses. That’s certainly something that NASCAR fans did not see everyday. Plus, it’s difficult to find someone who did not play the Monopoly game at the burger joint while hoping to win the $1 million grand prize.
No. 3 – McDonald’s x Batman
This car became so iconic that it prompted a name change. Elliott’s 1995 Ford Thunderbird became the Thunderbat whenever McDonald’s used the stock car to promote the “Batman Forever” film starring Val Kilmer. This black scheme showed up at Charlotte Motor Speedway before returning at Pocono Raceway and Michigan International Speedway.
No. 2 – Hamburglar
Reddick’s second car to land on this top-10 list delighted numerous NASCAR fans in 2024 when it showed up at the track. The California native had the “villainous” Hamburglar on his car. The stripes on the No. 45 Toyota matched the Hamburglar’s outfit while the iconic tie and mask took over the hood. Reddick even wore a custom firesuit that matched the burger thief’s outfit.
No. 1 – Grimace
The Hamburglar was not the only popular McDonald’s character to show up at the race track in recent seasons. Grimace, the lovable purple friend to Ronald McDonald, also made an appearance. He took over Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota in multiple races. One scheme featured purple flames, but the most popular Grimace car had the simpler scheme. This car had a purple base with Grimace in multiple locations.