Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen extends partnership with RCR and Kyle Busch
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen announced Thursday it has extended and enhanced its relationship with Richard Childress Racing, Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Cheddar’s Chevrolet team.
All sides came to an agreement on a multi-race, multi-year partnership ahead of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
“We’re excited to wave the green flag once again on our relationship with Richard Childress Racing, Kyle Busch and the No. 8 team,” said John Felton, vice president of marketing for Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. “Kyle and the RCR team have been great partners as we introduce NASCAR fans to our homestyle favorites at comforting prices. We look forward to cooking up even more together in 2024 and beyond.”
Cheddar’s and Richard Childress Racing first partnered together in 2020, with the race team also assisting the American chain restaurant with strategic content, and marketing and communications support for the program. The 2023 campaign was Cheddar’s first with Busch as the driver of the No. 8 car. The restaurant chain served as the primary sponsor for seven races.
“It’s gratifying to see Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen find so much success by integrating Kyle and the No. 8 team into their marketing strategy,” said Torrey Galida, president of RCR. “Whether its incorporating Honey Butter Croissants into the paint scheme design of the No. 8 Chevrolet, utilizing the race team partnership to honor our military, or bringing the excitement of motor sports to restaurant locations throughout the country with menu offerings catered to Kyle Busch fans, it’s clear that this team is willing to think outside the box and market in creative ways. We’re looking forward to being part of the Cheddar’s growth strategy for many years to come.”
Kyle Busch hoping for better 2024 with RCR
Busch, the two-time Cup Series champion, is coming off his first season with Richard Childress Racing. He notched three wins, but finished a disappointing 14th in the points standings, his lowest finish since his rookie season in 2005 (20th).
“We had a lot of highs and lows,” Busch said last month of his season. “So the peaks and the valleys were very far and spread wide. So we got to clean that up and just, you know, obviously raise our bar, get more top 10s, more top fives. Even though we’re high on those amounts, we’re very high on DNFs as well, too. So that’s where, like you said, the inconsistency lies and being able to be better at that.
“So I think there was probably two at least, maybe three other races that we had potential we could have won. Wish I could have them back but, you know, it is what it is.”