NAPA has partnered with Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott since 2014. The duo has pulled out some extremely effective marketing campaigns in this association as sponsor and driver, but one of their most hilarious commercials came in 2015. To the delight of fans, it also featured JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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The video, aired a year after Elliott became the Nationwide Series champion, shows him and Dale Jr. discussing merchandising opportunities with a NAPA executive. The executive pitches multiple funny and innovative products, which dismays Elliott. His benefactor, however, is thrilled with the ideas.
One of the products that the executive unveils is a “Chase Elliott Tire Gauge.” As Elliott looks on with disbelief, Dale Jr. exclaims, “How could you say no to this?” Other products include washer fluid, a dipstick, and a garden gnome. Things end with the executive taking the covers off a blow-up action figure that does everything but resemble Elliott.
The commercial made rounds on social media recently. A fan wrote below a post of the video, “I miss those days.” Another said, “Who doesn’t love this commercial @DaleJr is the best.” Dale Jr.’s presence made the entire video much more hilarious than it otherwise would have been.
Pure gold! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
— Lisa Sturniolo (@SturnioloLisa) January 31, 2025
His little interventions are hard not to chuckle over. A few more comments followed, “One of my favorites,” and “Thank you. It’s my favorite commercial.”
Chase Elliott’s relationship with NAPA
NAPA left the NASCAR Cup Series in 2013 following race manipulation controversies that Michael Waltrip Racing was embroiled in. It returned in 2016 to sponsor the #24 Hendrick Motorsports entry that Chase Elliott drove at the time. NAPA was also Elliott’s primary sponsor in the Nationwide Series in 2014 and 2015.
He has rewarded the company greatly over the years by displaying strong proficiency on the race track. In 2022, NAPA signed a multi-year agreement to continue as his primary sponsor in the future. The news was announced in Las Vegas by Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, and NAPA’s vice president of marketing.
Elliott said at the time, “None of this is possible without NAPA. I’m so thankful for their commitment to our team and their passion for what we do every weekend.” He has won a Nationwide Series championship and a Cup Series championship with the brand’s consistent support. They will look to achieve more success in 2025 as they head into the first points-paying race this season, the 67th Daytona 500.
