Dallas — Chili’s Grill & Bar will return to NASCAR competition on March 1, 2026, at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The company is renewing its partnership with Spire Motorsports and driver Carson Hocevar. The campaign again centers on the brand’s Presidente Margarita, marketed as the “’Dente.” It also introduces a new black-and-white car and firesuit design. The visuals connect the promotion to Chili’s long-running margarita program and heritage branding.
The Ride the ’Dente Chevrolet ZL1 will compete throughout the race weekend. The main event will air Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET and run for 95 laps on the 17-turn road course. The appearance marks the start of a multi-year extension between Chili’s and the No. 77 team.
Chili’s said the campaign builds on last season’s NASCAR activation. That effort combined car livery, fan experiences, and off-track marketing tied to its Presidente Margarita.
The drink was first introduced in 1994. It remains one of the chain’s core menu items. The recipe includes reposado tequila, brandy, and orange liqueur.
According to Tim Forman, Chili’s director of media, the refreshed look reflects Hocevar’s racing persona. It also keeps recognizable elements of the original campaign. Forman said the updated design gives fans “another reason to yell or post ‘Ride the ’Dente’” during race weekends.
The 2026 car design features black, white, and red graphics. It also includes pepper vine details. The design references founder Larry Lavine and early Chili’s branding.
The firesuit follows a similar western-inspired theme. It includes the Ride the ’Dente logo and a redesigned belt buckle motif.
Chili’s will continue honoring restaurant leadership. The names of nearly 1,100 general managers will form the pepper logos displayed on the car doors.
Hocevar said the partnership allows him to represent a brand he personally supports. He added that the attention to detail in the design sets it apart from other cars in the garage.
Industry context: food brands and experiential marketing
Chili’s NASCAR activation reflects a broader trend in the food and beverage industry toward experiential marketing, using sports, music, and live events to reinforce brand identity beyond traditional advertising. By linking its most recognizable drink to motorsports culture, Chili’s continues a strategy that blends product awareness with fan engagement and social media visibility.
Restaurant chains increasingly rely on high-profile partnerships to stand out in a crowded casual dining market, particularly as younger consumers gravitate toward brands that show personality and cultural relevance. NASCAR sponsorships also offer national television exposure and strong regional loyalty in key markets such as Texas and the Southeast.
This NASCAR activation will continue to evolve later in March 2026, as Chili’s will expand the campaign with a nostalgia-driven throwback design tied to Darlington Raceway’s Alumni Weekend. The upcoming “Marg Machine” concept will reinterpret a historic racing paint scheme while maintaining the brand’s margarita-focused identity. Together, these efforts will demonstrate how Chili’s is extending a single partnership across multiple race events, combining modern branding with heritage storytelling to deepen fan engagement.
Why it matters
Chili’s decision to extend its NASCAR partnership highlights how legacy restaurant brands are using entertainment-driven campaigns. These efforts help refresh familiar products instead of relying only on new menu launches.
The Presidente Margarita has been on the menu for more than three decades. The Ride the ’Dente campaign gives it new visibility. It reframes the drink as a cultural symbol. The strategy links the product to racing fandom and visual storytelling.
For the broader CPG and foodservice industry, this approach highlights a shift toward nostalgia-powered branding combined with experiential touchpoints. Instead of relying solely on menu innovation, brands are investing in design, partnerships, and social engagement to keep long-standing products relevant in a competitive market.
Other News
While high-octane experiential marketing like the “Ride the Dente” NASCAR campaign is brilliant for capturing mass-market attention and building cultural relevance, converting those millions of racing fans into paying restaurant guests requires a compelling, everyday value proposition. To ensure that massive influx of top-of-funnel brand awareness translates directly into dining room sales, the casual dining giant is simultaneously upgrading its core value platform to actively steal market share from the fast-food sector. Capitalizing on the attention generated by their sports sponsorships, Chili’s recently launched a direct attack on QSR competitors by adding the new Big Crispy Chicken Sandwich to its highly profitable $10.99 ‘3 for Me’ menu. For casual dining operators and marketing strategists, this one-two punch—using blockbuster sports sponsorships to drive massive awareness while leveraging aggressive, inflation-busting menu innovation to force physical trial—is the ultimate masterclass in full-funnel restaurant marketing for 2026.
Editor’s note: Source86 perspective
For food manufacturers and private-label brands, Chili’s NASCAR partnership underscores a growing industry trend: using experiential, heritage-driven marketing to keep core products in the spotlight. Longstanding recipes and signature items can gain renewed attention when paired with cultural moments like sports sponsorships and live events.
At Source86, we help brands support these strategies with dependable ingredient sourcing, FSQA oversight, and private label and co-manufacturing solutions. Whether a campaign is built on nostalgia or innovation, strong supply chains and production partners ensure that demand generated by marketing efforts can be met consistently and with quality. Let’s talk.
FAQs
The car will compete at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, with the main race scheduled for Sunday, March 1, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
It is Chili’s marketing campaign centered on its Presidente Margarita, using NASCAR sponsorship, themed car designs, and fan engagement to promote the drink.
Chili’s is partnered with Spire Motorsports and driver Carson Hocevar as part of a multi-year extension.
External source: Chili’s® Grill & Bar and Spire Motorsports Ride the ‘Dente™ Again-te
