Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III, SUBWAY® Famous Fan Carl Edwards and Jared the SUBWAY® guy joined Coca-Cola in announcing the rebranding at a press conference at the Daytona International Speedway Infield Media Center.
The Subway Firecracker 250 Powered By Coca-Cola, which is scheduled for Friday night, July 5 and part of the Coke Zero 400 Weekend Powered By Coca-Cola, will feature the stars of the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 100 laps / 250 miles.
The origin of the name “Firecracker” dates back to the first year of operation of Daytona International Speedway in 1959. The inaugural NASCAR summer race was run as the Firecracker 250. The summer NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at DIS included “Firecracker” in the event name from 1959 through 1988.
“It’s great to see Subway incorporate ‘Firecracker’ into the race name for the July NASCAR Nationwide Series event,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “NASCAR racing at Daytona International Speedway on the Independence Day holiday weekend has a storied history and race fans are going to enjoy seeing the return of a classic race name.”
“Bringing back the legendary ‘Firecracker’ name should bring a smile to all longtime NASCAR fans” said Tony Pace, Global Chief Marketing Officer at SUBWAY® Franchise World Headquarters. “The name conjures up the great racing legacy of NASCAR and its linkage to our country’s birthday.”
Kurt Busch is the defending champion of the Subway Firecracker 250 Powered By Coca-Cola. Other previous race winners include Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano and inaugural winner Joe Nemechek.
Following the Subway Firecracker 250 Powered By Coca-Cola, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers will take center stage with the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola on Saturday, July 6.
Tickets for all the events that are part of the Coke Zero 400 Weekend Powered By Coca-Cola Weekend At Daytona are available online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.
Fans can also stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest for the latest news all season long.
