NASCAR fills its tray at Darlington. Cook Out locks in naming rights for Southern 500
Cook Out is going all-in for NASCAR’s Southern 500 race by securing naming rights for the annual Darlington Raceway event. The first playoff race of the Cup season Sept. 6 will be called the Cook Out Southern 500.
After announcing a partnership deal last week that makes Cook Out the official quick service restaurant of the raceway and giving exclusive promotional rights to the track, Cook Out and Darlington further cemented a business relationship with the “Cook Out Southern 500” title Tuesday, replacing last year’s title sponsor Bojangles.
The financial arrangement has not been disclosed.
Charlotte-based Bojangles did not renew its sponsorship title for this year’s Southern 500, allowing another southeast restaurant chain — Thomasville, N.C.-based Cook Out — to swoop in. The partnership between the Too Tough to Tame track in Darlington, S.C., and Cook Out includes at-track signage on four track wall locations, a front stretch asphalt logo and an apron asphalt logo in Turn 3, in addition to other ads and billboard displays around the track.
The Cook Out Southern 500 also serves as the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR, which will include new retro paint schemes for teams and a limited number of fans on-site. South Carolina will allow up to 8,000 spectators for the race.
