Start your engines and get ready to rock this fueled up fashion trend, ahead of the busiest time in the racing world.
We’re talking about the Daytona 500, which is truly the Olympics of race car driving. This year, the main event is on Feb. 19, held at the famed Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Want to attend the race in real life? Get tickets here
In honor of race day, and also the 75th “Diamond” Anniversary of NASCAR’s founding, we’ve been spotting NASCAR and racing jackets all over the place, straying from the race track to the runway.
Speaking of runway, we’ve also spotted celebs in racing jackets, including Dua Lipa, Kendall Jenner, Drake and more.
We chatted with Megan Malayter, managing director of licensing and consumer products at NASCAR, to give us a look under the hood, explaining what makes the iconic jacket last lap after lap in the fashion and sporting world, never running out of gas.
“Where NASCAR jackets began to transcend our traditional base was when it organically started to take off in streetwear, sneaker, and celebrity culture. The jackets became a statement piece you could hook up with sneakers given the bold colors, strong consumer brands and the patches all over them,” said Malayter.
“It worked its way into the fabric of streetwear and celebrity culture with people like Pharrell and Cindy Crawford sporting them early on, and you see celebrities from Kendall Jenner to athletes like Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Alvin Kamara keeping it strong today. To wear them, you have to be a bit bold and heroic yourself, almost like our drivers.”
So what has kept NASCAR jackets going lap after lap all these years? The unique design, eye-catching colors and recognizable sponsors are just a few of many reasons, as explained by Malayter.
“NASCAR jackets are such an aesthetic phenomenon. The organized chaos of them really resonates with people who are looking for a stylish statement piece or accessory, even if they aren’t sporting them as a representation of their favorite driver,” Malayter said.
“They’re loud yet still meticulously laid out. They’re also loaded with recognizable brand logos that people love, which makes it fun for people to wear and maybe show some affinity for those brands without feeling like a corporate billboard themselves because they’re not just wearing some company’s swag – they’re wearing a professional race car driver’s jacket.”
When is the best time to rock these classic jackets? Aside from right now for the Daytona 500, the answer is really any time. The style and designs have withstood the test of time, not to mention the jackets themselves are made to be durable and look even better with age.
“There’s a big 90s nostalgia trend sweeping through fashion and pop-culture right now, too, which certainly helps. From the vintage shops in LA and New York to Grailed and Poshmark, original NASCAR jackets draw great demand,” said Malayter.
We also spoke to Nicole Nisim, the vice president of operations at JH Design, which has been one of the main purveyors of NASCAR jackets since the mid-1990s, who commented on just how unique the racing jacket style is, in the fashion world as well as on the track.
“Most jackets in typical retail spaces don’t have the level of detail, ornate embroidery and durability that our NASCAR jackets do, which is a huge factor in their steady popularity over the years as well,” explained Nisim. “The quality speaks for itself when you touch one, whether it’s a 2023 jacket or a 90s piece in a vintage shop you’d swear was brand-new — if only some of the colors and sponsor logos weren’t clearly from another era.”
Feeling revved up and ready to buy a NASCAR jacket of your own? Then start your engines and get shopping ahead of racing season with a durable, classic and iconic piece of sports-inspired fashion you’ll wear over and over again.
Shop NASCAR and other racing jackets now:
This classic black jacket is a great place to start your NASCAR collection, with the iconic primary color logo and checkmark details on both the front and back.
For a patriotic feel, check out this red, white and blue jacket, that features snaps instead of a zipper and a lighter fabric to be worn as a windbreaker or layered over your outfit.
Who doesn’t like chocolate? This logo-heavy design from J.H. Designs features the M&M logo, as well as those from Snickers, Good Year, Toyota and more.
For a more fashion-driven piece, this racing inspired jacket can be found on Amazon, with the elements of NASCAR with some extra street style thrown into the mix as well.
Are you a Harvick fanatic? Head to Fanatics to get your favorite driver’s jackets, like this one that features Mobil 1 as the main sponsor, worn by Kevin Harvick.
Check out the New York Post Shopping section for more content.
