NASCAR Winston Cup Goody's Headache Powders 500 Preview: #94, Bill Elliot
20 August 1997
#94 Bill Elliott, McDonald's Ford Thunderbird NASCAR Winston Cup Series Goody's Headache Powders 500 Advance Bristol Motor Speedway ELLIOTT DEBUTS MAC TONIGHT UNDER THE LIGHTS BRISTOL, TN - To celebrate McDonald's flagship sandwich, the Big Mac, the McDonald's NASCAR Racing Team will debut the midnight blue "Mac Tonight" commemorative Ford Thunderbird at this weekend's Winston Cup night race (Aug. 23), the Goody's 500, at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Mac Tonight, the sunglasses-wearing moon crooner, who played jazz on a piano backed by a neon city nightscape, was used by McDonald's in a 1987 national advertising campaign. "This is definitely a flashy and good-looking car and it is only fitting that we debut it at night," said Elliott, owner and driver of the McDonald's Racing Team. "Over the years, McDonald's has done a great job using its sponsorship in racing to tie-in with national promotions taking place in the restaurants." McDonald's has also invited a special guest to this weekend's race - Don Gorske, who is known as the "Big Mac Guy." Gorske, of Fond du Lac, Wis., has consumed more than 15,000 Big Macs since 1972. Along with Bristol, the Mac Tonight car will compete in four other races: Miller 400 (Sept. 6) in Richmond, Va., New Hampshire 300 (Sept. 14) in Loudon, N.H., MBNA 400 (Sept. 21) in Dover, Del., and the Hanes 500 (Sept. 28) in Martinsville, Va. "McDonald's commemorative cars have always been a big hit with racing fans," said Bill Korbus, manager, McDonald's Motorsports Alliances, referring to the company's Thunderbat (1995), Monopoly (1996) and Olympics (1996) cars. "We brought back Mac Tonight this season to celebrate the Big Mac, our flagship sandwich that is McDonald's to many people." By McDonald's Racing Public Relations