That familiar bright purple of Tootsie’s on Nashville‘s lower Broadway is headed to the NASCAR track.
Trackhouse Racing announced that the popular honky tonk will sponsor their #99 car, driven by Daniel Suarez, when the Cup Series rolls into Nashville on June 20.
The paint scheme will obviously feature Tootsie’s signature bright purple, which reportedly originated when a painter made a mistake and accidentally painted the building “orchid purple,” leading owner Tootsie Bess to name her bar “Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge.”
NASCAR Returns To Nashville
The bar is obviously one of the most popular honky tonks on Broadway these days, so it makes sense that Tootsie’s would have a presence on the track when the Cup Series returns to Nashville after an almost 40 year hiatus.
According to Tootsie’s owner Steve Smith:
“We love a big party and having NASCAR in Nashville is worth celebrating. Country music fans and racing fans are one and the same.
We are very excited to host these passionate fans and be a part of such a historic event.”
Trackhouse Racing is owned by Trackhouse Entertainment Group, a company formed by former driver Justin Marks and Pitbull (yes, that Pitbull) and based in Nashville.
The race team is in its first season in the Cup Series and has been having a solid season for a first year team with veteran driver Daniel Suarez. Trackhouse scored their best finish of the season during the Cup Series’ first trip to Tennessee with a top 5 finish at Bristol in March.
Discussing the partnership with Tootsie’s, Marks said it’s about representing the Nashville community:
“When I saw Nashville on the Cup Series schedule last year, my first thought was to find a way to represent this amazing city in a big way.
It is very important to me that Trackhouse become a recognized part of the Nashville community, as a professional sports team, as good citizens, and as vocal ambassadors for the region.”
Maybe with a little bit of Nashville flair on the car, the #99 Tootsie’s Chevy can find their way to victory lane in Music City.
