DAYTONA BEACH. Mack Trucks is now the “Official Hauler of NASCAR,” Mack announced during NASCAR’s Daytona 500 media day event here.
As part of the multi-year agreement between Mack and NASCAR, Mack provided a fleet of custom-designed Pinnacle sleeper models spec’d to answer the challenges of the “grueling NASCAR schedule,” the company said. Mack will provide NASCAR with 11 Pinnacle tractors – five back models, five axle forward and one spare – John Walsh, Mack vice president of marketing, told Fleet Owner.
“Mack and NASCAR are two fundamentally American brands, and we couldn’t be more excited to join forces and serve as the ‘Official Hauler of NASCAR,’” Walsh said. “This partnership enables us to get Mack, our trucks and our technology in front of millions of NASCAR fans, a significant number of whom are part of the transportation industry.”
“Attraction and retention are really critical for our customers,” Walsh told Fleet Owner. “The opinions of drivers matter more than ever in vehicle purchasing decision, and many drivers are NASCAR fans.”
“Our view is that the NASCAR fan base is in our strike zone,” he added. “We have been pigeonholed to a degree as a vocational truck maker, so our focus is to grow in the long-haul sleeper piece of the market. For us, the partnership helps increase that highway awareness and tell our story.”
NASCAR’s fleet of Mack Pinnacle models embarked on its inaugural journey to NASCAR’s season-opening race, the Daytona 500, at Daytona International Speedway in Florida.
“The Mack Trucks brand has been a part of American culture for more than a century and is globally recognized for manufacturing a best-in-class product,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “The custom-designed Pinnacle models are masterfully engineered and we are proud that they will lead the NASCAR convoy to the track each race weekend.”
Each of NASCAR’s custom-spec’d Pinnacle models is equipped with Mack’s 13-liter MP8 engine that delivers 505 horsepower, Mack said. The trucks are also outfitted with Mack’s mDRIVE automated manual transmission, which the company said helps boost fuel efficiency and productivity without sacrificing performance.
The fleet also contains Mack GuardDog Connect, a telematics system that monitors fault codes that could shut a truck down. When a potential issue is detected, GuardDog Connect automatically notifies Mack OneCall agents at the 24/7 Mack Uptime Center, as well as the driver and designated fleet contact. The company explained that an action plan for repairs, a check for available parts at the nearest service center and detailed repair instructions are completed while the truck is still on the road.
