Dolly Parton, an icon of country music, passed away on Aug. 25 at the age of 80. This prompted countless tributes on social media from several different industries.
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Those in NASCAR joined in to honor the Tennessee native. Fans, media members, PR representatives, and many others offered condolences and shared their memories of the superstar.
This connection between stock car racing and Parton goes beyond a simple appreciation for country music or the film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. She actually had a prominent role in one race, as well as a promotional campaign.
Sad to hear that Dolly Parton has passed.
One of the coolest videos I got to post for NASCAR on NBC was a video the team shot about what Nashville meant to her. ♥️ pic.twitter.com/tb4XJaOU8O
— Ryan DeCosta (@rsdecosta) August 25, 2026
Back in 2019, Richard Childress Racing fielded a Parton-branded Chevrolet Camaro for the spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. The pink and white No. 2 Chevrolet had Parton's face on the hood to promote her record company, and it had branding for Dollywood on the rear fenders.
The stock car also had branding for her Stampede Dinner Attraction and the Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show.
Tyler Reddick, then the defending O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, had a blast with the sponsorship. He showed up to the track with a blonde wig, which he wore during driver intros.
He then went out, led 61 laps, and finished second while continuing to pile up crucial points. He fell short of his goal of winning, but he gave the stock car considerable amounts of TV coverage.
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Car sponsorship aside, the country star also joined forces with NBC for a promo during the 2022 season. She filmed a teaser with NBC Sports ahead of the race at Nashville Superspeedway, and she spoke about her dedication and rise to prominence in the heart of Music City.
"Dolly was gracious enough to spend time with our production team appearing on-camera and voicing this special opening tease for Sunday's race," said Jeff Behnke, Vice President of Motorsports Production at NBC Sports, in 2022.
"Who better to welcome NASCAR fans from across the country than Tennessee native and country music superstar Dolly Parton."
NASCAR drivers have even shown their appreciation for Parton during races at Bristol Motor Speedway. The annual night race at the short track gives drivers the opportunity to pick their own walkout songs. Back in 2011, future Hall of Famer Jeff Burton played a mash-up of Parton's song Coal Keeps The Lights On and Guns 'n' Roses' Welcome to the Jungle.
