Spongebob Squarepants 400? 30 weird and wonderful NASCAR race names F1 fans may not know about

Ah, NASCAR. The American stock car racing sanctioning body has overseen its fair share of incredible racing in its Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks Series — but it has also provided us with some absurd race names.

As the resident American here at PlanetF1.com, I feel it’s my duty to introduce you to a selection of the finest event names in history, brought to you by NASCAR’s ever-evolving slate of sponsors.

2015 Spongebob Squarepants 400

Are you ready, kids? Jimmie Johnson took victory at the iconic Spongebob Squarepants 400, a rain-impacted race that took place at Kansas Speedway. Four drivers had Spongebob paint schemes.

2004 Lowe’s Presents the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300

The Spongebob Squarepants 400 wasn’t the only race to take place under the sea. This Busch Series — now Xfinity Series — race took place at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and two drivers boasted Spongebob-themed cars for the event. Mike Bliss secured his first-ever win in the series.

2013 DRIVE4COPD 300

After years of promoting Winston Cigarettes, NASCAR turned to promoting solutions for the consequences of smoking too dang much with the Nationwide Series’ DRIVE4COPD300. (Today, the Nationwide Series is the Xfinity Series).

2013 CNBC Prime’s “The Profit” 200

Taking place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the CNBC Prime’s The Profit 200 was a Nationwide — now Xfinity — race won by Kyle Busch. The Profit is about Marcus Lemonis, owner of the Camping World company; Lemonis has played a significant role in NASCAR’s lower tiers through the years.

2022 Call 811 Before You Dig 250 powered by Call811.com

This NASCAR Xfinity race taking place at Martinsville Speedway was won by Brandon Jones. For Americans digging around in their backyard, they’re required to call 811 in order to identify things like electric, natural gas, and cable lines.

2008 Hefty Odor Block 200

Nothing says “NASCAR is great” quite like the Nationwide Series race named after stench-blocking trash bags. Carl Edwards was declared the winner.

2005 Cheerios Betty Crocker 200

Mike Skinner won the 2005 Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 Truck race, named after the heart-healthy cereal and the baked goods company that owns it.

2024 Iowa Corn 350

Iowa is known for one thing: corn. It makes sense that its NASCAR Cup Series debut race would be named the Iowa Corn 350, after the organization of corn growers that lobby in the state. IndyCar’s Iowa races also featured similar naming conventions for several years.

2016 Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200

The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200 was an Xfinity Series race taking place at Dover International Speedway. Won by Erik Jones, it was named after a chain that sells discounted home goods. Ollie’s was later involved in a federal lawsuit that alleged the company misclassified its managers in order to avoid paying them overtime.

2020 Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered by Big Machine Records

The Tennessee-based Big Machine record company is best known for its controversy with Taylor Swift, but it also owns a distillery that makes vodka. In the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, it made sense for many alcohol companies to pivot to making hand sanitizer — and to use that hand sanitizer to sponsor a Cup Series race.

The Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered by Florida Georgia Line

Obviously it makes sense that Big Machine Records would use its clout to promote one of its artists, but the Florida Georgia Line? At a race in Indianapolis? It never made sense.

2019 1000Bulbs.com 500

This Cup Series race earns a spot on the list largely because the 1000Bulbs.com 500 is one of the most confusing race names in NASCAR history. It was won by Ryan Blaney.

Sharpie 500 and the Sharpie Mini 300

Sharpie earns special accolades for its genius marketing plan. It sponsored both Cup and Xfinity Series events at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2006. It opted for the clever Sharpie 500 name for the big Cup event, and the Sharpie Mini 300 name for the support event.

2012 Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 200

American actor/comedian Jeff Foxworthy introduced the unappetizingly named Grit Chips corn chip line that was packed with plenty of “Southern” flavors, like cheddar jalapeno and sweet heat. Before the brand disappeared into the abyss, it was the title sponsor for a 2012 Truck Series race in Georgia.

2017 I Love New York 355 at The Glen

Watkins Glen International, for some reason, has always attracted absurd sponsor names. There was the I Love New York 355, the Cheez-It 355, the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips, and now, Go Bowling at the Glen.

2014-2015 UNOH 200 Presented by ZLOOP

Sure, it’s kind of strange that so many NASCAR events have been sponsored by the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH), but today, we’re focusing on the Truck Series events presented by ZLOOP — an e-scrap company that was found to be a scam by the Department of Justice.

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2011 Top Gear 300

The 2011 Xfinity race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was named after Top Gear’s American spin-off series. It was a fairly clever partnership, with Top Gear clips airing throughout the race.

2016-2017 Hisense 4k TV 300

The Hisense 4K TV 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway may be the only race in Xfinity Series history that could also double as a Black Friday sale advertisement.

1996 Hardee’s Fried Chicken Challenge 250

Fast food joint Hardee’s has sponsored a few NASCAR events, but the Hardee’s Fried Chicken Challenge 250 at Richmond sounds so delicious. It’s the perfect marketing tactic; almost 30 years later, I’m still wondering if I could conquer the fried chicken challenge, whatever it is.

2013 Party in the Poconos 400 presented by Walmart

Pocono Raceway put together a fan vote to decide on the name of its 2013 Cup race, which it was staging with Walmart. If you’ve ever camped in the Pocono infield, you’ll understand why Party in the Poconos was the fan favorite choice.

Pontiac Excitement 400

Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, NASCAR’s Cup Series event at Richmond was named the Pontiac Excitement 400. It was named after the General Motors subbrand Pontiac, which was supposed to be one of GM’s performance brands.

2021 Buschy McBusch Race 400

For $1, Busch Beer allowed NASCAR fans to suggest names for its 2021 Cup Series event at Kansas Speedway; later, fans were asked to vote on four different proposed names. The other options were The Busch Latte 400, Nectar of the Cobs 400, and For the Farmers 400 – but obviously the meme won the fan vote.

2018 Active Pest Control 200 benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

The name of the 2018 NASCAR Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway perplexes me. I could understand Active Pest Control as a sponsor. I could understand Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as a sponsor. But pairing them together feels like the pest control is somehow supposed to help kids.

2020 My Bariatric Solutions 300

The My Bariatric Solutions 300 was an Xfinity race at Texas Motor Speedway won by Austin Cindric. The Texas-based company offers both surgical and non-surgical weight loss options — which could become a necessity at TMS thanks to its proximity to delicious Buc-ee’s brisket sandwiches.

2016 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400

The TMNT 400 took place at Chicagoland Speedway — another Nickelodeon-sponsored banger. Fascinatingly, the race was won by Martin Truex Jr. and Furniture Row Racing, a team that could somehow operate a Cup team with a budget built by a furniture sales business.

2023 Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300

More full stops in race names, please.

2014 TreatMyClot.com 300

Another NASCAR Xfinity Series banger, the TreatMyClot.com 300 took place at California Speedway in 2014; it was won by Kyle Larson.

2010 Subway Jalapeño 250 powered by Coca-Cola

In 2019, a YouTuber conducted a serious investigation into the jalapeños offered by Subway; only one of the 20 foot-long subs he purchased did not feature an inedible jalapeño stem. But in 2010, we were blissfully unaware of the consequences of Subway promoting its jalapeños — and powering it all with a refreshing sip of Coca-Cola.

2020 Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 presented by Click It or Ticket

A fitting sponsor for the NASCAR Truck Series, Buckle Up In Your Truck is an organization designed to promote safe driving — but the “Click It or Ticket” double-down feels a little heavy handed!

2001 Pork The Other White Meat 400

The National Pork Board decided to sponsor an ARCA series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway back in 2001 that it cleverly named the Pork The Other White Meat 400. ARCA wasn’t owned by NASCAR at the time, but I’m still counting it just because of its absurdity.

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