Ten More Classic Nascar Commercials

To me, Nascar races can be exciting, but what is even more fun is the series of commercials featuring the Nascar drivers. Whether they are plugging sub sandwiches, auto parts, or shaving razors, they tend to get in some cool, and wacky, situations. Last year, I wrote a list of ten of my favorite Nascar commercials. Now, I have selected ten additional ads and I shall proceed to tell you about each one of them and why I enjoy them so much. Maybe some of your favorites will be found on this list, too. Without further ado, here are the commercials, in no particular order...

Martin Truex, Jr.: Napa: Martin does not know anything about mending broken hearts, rocket science, or trying to get to the moon. What he does know, however, is that while he is racing on the track, his Napa crew gives him advice on how to win. This commercial features one of the catchiest songs in recent history-entitled Napa Know How-and after a few repeated viewings, you cannot help but sing along with the words. A second commercial features new lyrics as Martin travels back in time, though he claims he does not know how to do that, either. Both ads are pretty cool, and the song never seems to get old.

Kasey Kahne: Budweiser: Kasey pulls up to the pit stop, and then the commentators decide to slow down the action. What they witness is amazing: during the short time it takes for the pit crew to work on Kasey's car, he finds time to flip hamburgers, arm wrestle, and even apply a tattoo to a woman. Of course, he makes it back in time to get back into his car and continue the race. Perhaps Kasey's funniest commercial since his Allstate ads, and his best Budweiser ad to date.

Ensemble: Gillette Fusion: The Gillette Young Guns try to film a commercial in which they have to explain how the razor blades should be switched once the indicator strip fades to white, so that it can continue to work well. However, the Young Gun veterans keep flubbing their lines and making mistakes. Finally, new Young Gun member Joey Logano does the commercial flawlessly, resulting in everyone else giving him a shaved cream pie in the face. One of my favorite Gillette Young Guns commercial, it's funny watching the drivers make mistakes (one of the best is Carl Edwards talking about the indicator strip and then saying "I know a guy in Decatur!"), and Joey is in top form in his first Young Gun stint. A thirty-second masterpiece all around.

Carl Edwards: Subway: While searching for his drink, Carl manages to lift up his car with one hand and ask his mechanic where it is. It turns out that his strength comes from the Subway sandwiches that he eats. He finally finds his drink inside a stack of tires, though it is anyone's guess how it ended up there in the first place. This is another entertaining commercial featuring Carl, and an improvement over some other Subway ads, in which he simply talks about the sandwiches. He should make more ads like this one.

Joey Logano: The Home Depot: When Joey's Sprint Cup career kicked off last year, he appeared in this ad in which a Home Depot sales associate helped him work on an important project: winning races. Joey learned how to win races on a budget, received an owner in the form of Joe Gibbs, and received 300,000 fans (Nascar, not ceiling) in one shot. This is the first, and best, of Joey's Home Depot ads, as the current commercials seem less creative. It is fun to see how the young fellow prepared for the racing career that awaited him, at least from The Home Depot's point of view. I hope to see more of Joey in future ads, as he seems to have stardom written all over him.

Jimmie Johnson: Sprint: Family members are calling on their Sprint phones, hoping to get to talk to Nascar champion Jimmie Johnson. The problem is, there are a lot of Jimmie Johnsons out there. Finally, they manage to get the "real" Jimmie Johnson, and the only thing they can say is "Oh my gosh!" Sprint's first new Nascar ad of 2010 is amusing, particularly when the fans get really excited about getting to talk to their favorite driver. Suffice to say I would feel the exact same way if ever I met any of my favorite drivers. A winning ad for a winning driver.

Denny Hamlin: Toyota: There have been three ads in which viewers are asked to design their own race cars. In the best of the ads, Denny gets a love car designed by a boy who has his sights on a girl who does not seem to know he exists, as demonstrated by when she asks "Who?" at the end of the ad. Denny, however, thinks the two people are destined to be with each other because, as he puts it, "Who doesn't love love?" It is interesting to see the lengths that people will go to in order to get the person of their dreams, and this is a unique way of doing so. Plus, the car and Denny's outfit are well-designed. Related to this ad, and likewise enjoyable, is...

Kyle Busch: Toyota: A young girl with artistic talent wants to see Kyle Busch driving a pink car with pictures of cute animals on it. Kyle, who wears a suit to match his redesigned car, does not seem to mind racing it, as he seems to be an animal lover. Seeing Kyle in his new outfit is priceless, as are the girl's ideas of what she wants the car to look like (at one point, she wants the words "I love you" to be written on the spoiler). It would be a hoot to see Kyle driving the pink car in an actual race. Two great ads from one company.

Jimmie Johnson: Kobalt: Jimmie and his crew chief Chad Knaus are sitting around a Kobalt tool box, when Jimmie's car almost falls on top of them. They manage to avoid getting crushed as the car lands on the tool box. The box does not even get damaged in the slightest, as supposedly it is not easily destroyed. One would feel as frightened as Jimmie and Chad as the car is coming down on them, but sigh with relief when they take it all in stride only moments later. A nice break from seeing Jimmie repairing everything in sight, though those ads were also entertaining.

Ensemble: Coca-Cola: In general, there seems to be no love lost between the drivers, as they try and use any means necessary to come out on top. In this ad, however, the drivers suddenly break out into song, singing "I Like to Teach the World to Sing," made famous in a classic Coke commercial from the 1970s. It remains a beautiful song, and it makes one wonder why, even when the competition really heats up, everyone cannot just get along, with all the recent rivalries that have popped up. Kudos for Coke for reviving the classic tune and having the Nascar drivers sing it.

With great commercials such as this, I would be tempted to say that at times, they are better than the actual races. A lot of the ads I have listed are humorous, and are as great on the 50th view as they were on the first view. These ads can show up during the races, or for those of you who want to see them right away, they can be found on YouTube. With about six months to go in the season, perhaps other awesome ads will appear before 2010 is finished. For now, enjoy the ads and the creativity that was put into them. They make me proud to be a Nascar fan.