A promising racer backed by fans, a powerful machine crafted by perfectionists, and a team of able craftsmen with the ability to win- This is the recipe to attract the biggest, boldest, and high-paying sponsors for a Cup Series race. This is something that Team Penske and their critically acclaimed driver, Ryan Blaney succeeded in achieving. But, was it because the team has 4 NASCAR Cup Series Trophies, or is it the talent of the 2023 Cup Series champ?

Ryan Blaney has managed to pull Haas Racing’s Formula 1 sponsor, who had offered them their one-year contract in 2023. Fans were already excited about the popular restaurant chain coming to NASCAR as a sponsor. Many of them flocked to Atlanta Motor Speedway to enjoy the racing action with some tasty Mexican food! It is a great sign for NASCAR and Blaney to have cracked the sponsors with talent. But the question is, will Blaney manage to retain the sponsor long enough for NASCAR to grow?

Chipotle partners with Ryan Blaney for first-ever NASCAR collaboration

Chipotle and Ryan Blaney are entering into an exciting new collaboration ahead of the 2025 AmBetter Health 400. The multi-billion dollar Mexican restaurant chain has recently ended its partnership with the Formula 1 team and signed a contract with undisclosed conditions with Team Penske. As part of the partnership, the Team Penske driver’s go-to meal, ‘The Ryan Blaney Bowl’ will be available as a digital entree on the Chipotle app and the restaurant chain’s website. It’s going to be a savory blend of brown rice, black beans, chicken, steak, tomatillo red-chili salsa, guacamole, and cheese. The exclusiveness keeps fans tip-toed as it is a limited-period offer! But, how exclusive is the deal Blaney cracked?

Turns out, this sponsorship is a part of Chipotle’s ‘Real Food for Real Athletes’ program, which aims to support athletes at all levels and across sports disciplines by providing proper nutrition through real food using fresh ingredients. It is valued at $70 billion, which is a lot of money! Many felt this move by Chipotle was because of the Haas F1 Team struggling in 2024’s open-wheel racing competition, finishing seventh in the Constructors’ Championship with 58 points. While these speculations cannot be denied, the truth has to be accepted. Talent and luck walking hand-in-hand have cracked this deal for Team Penske! Well, keep these talks away from Blaney, he is busy with the sponsor’s PR.

Ryan Blaney, the Team Penske racer took part in ‘Speed Round with Chipotle’ as part of the collaboration, where fans had the opportunity to ask the Ohio native questions about his pre-race rituals and favorite drivers. The No. 12 Ford racer finished runner-up at Atlanta Motor Speedway in last year’s iteration of the AmBetter Health 400, finishing 0.003 seconds behind eventual winner Daniel Suarez. And this year, he finished a close 4th after a close call with a crash when Carson Hocevar pushed him into a big slide. His car did not have the Chipotle branding on it but, BodyArmor really took a lot of pride that they spent their money on the right horse! But wait, does this deal not sound fishy? Why will a sponsor pay a fortune for a racer to back him and not brand his car?

Blaney, sponsorship, and business: Chipotle’s masterclass on money-making

It’s been a positive start to Ryan Blaney’s 2025 Cup Series campaign. The Team Penske driver finished seventh at ‘The Great American Race’, and headed to the 1.5-mile oval with plenty of confidence. Driving the No. 12 Ford Mustang and going into the Ambetter Health 400 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the racer was the favorite with +750 according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The most-favored winner could don their logo on his car to give Chipotle attention. However, both of them did not happen. Let’s leave winning aside for a moment, why are they so different from Menards in their way of advertising?

Turns out it could be a deeper-rooted business strategy. Getting to it the simplest way possible, Menards is a Business-to-Business company, while Chipotle follows a Business-to-Consumer model. You can go buy a Chipotle bowl alone, but what about supplies to improve your home? ‘Save BIG Money!’ could sound great, but the real money marts are the restaurant chains. According to a recent Reuters report, Chipotle planned to hire 20,000 additional workers for the ‘burrito season’ in March. It might be a mere coincidence until you realize that a fan is more likely to buy a burrito, rather than lumber and boards during the race! Also, NASCAR is a cheaper sport in terms of advertisement and team sponsoring. Let’s break it down.

To sponsor a team in F1, a corporation needs an amount in the range of $50 million to $100 million annually, while a NASCAR team could be sponsored for as low as $5 million! If less money can be spent for marketing, there’s just more money to lure in fans with offers, freebies, and events. Even if F1 viewership has increased, NASCAR’s the strongest part of American Motorsport history. The fan following is stronger and passionate. To top it up, NASCAR also has the longest season. But, what about Menards? They have been Ryan Blaney’s long-time sponsors since 2018.

Gladly, Menards are still Penske’s sponsors. This is just not the race allotted to them. As a fan once put it in 2023, “You sell ‘x’ races to each sponsor (under the Penske model) and allocate them however works if they don’t ask for specific driver/race combo.” Menards also promoted its racers with an activity before February began. Also, Chipotle ought to be the sponsor for the team’s Atlanta race. They have 18 stores in Atlanta and 115 in Georgia. The crowd diversion to stores would be simpler. But, for how long will the Mexican Restaurant chain giant feel NASAR is a valid investment for them?

Sadly, the program under which they have signed Blaney lasts for one season. But, Ryan Blaney looks hungrier after his Atlanta finish. He has a point to prove after missing out on the Cup Series championship in 2024 to his teammate Joey Logano. If the racer will secure a playoff spot in the third race of the season is yet to be seen. But, a racer as talented as Blaney could surely keep sponsors interested in him for a long time.