• by Karl Greenberg , July 26, 2007

Arby's Restaurant Group is partnering with Nascar racer Matt Kenseth to pitch its Popcorn Chicken Shakers via a grassroots effort and promotion.

As part of the effort for the new menu item, which the Atlanta-based company launched in June, Kenseth will work the drive-through at one of Arby's 3,600 restaurants nationwide today between noon and 2 p.m., where he and restaurant staff will hand out samples.

The sponsorship includes "Matt's Monday," in which every time Kenseth wins a Busch or Nextel race, Arby's gives away medium curly fries on the Monday following the race.

An Arby's rep says the effort is part of a much larger, integrated marketing push that includes national TV ads--which launched last week, starring Kenseth--as well as point-of-purchase material, posters, grassroots efforts and corporate goodwill efforts related to Big Brothers and Big Sisters, all leveraging Arby's relationship with Kenseth.

Arby's became a first-time Nascar sponsor in December, when the company signed as backer of Roush Racing's Kenseth and his No. 17 Ford Fusion, which races in the Nascar Busch Series.

As part of the deal, Arby's is primary sponsor of 13 of Kenseth's races, and the car has an Arby's paint scheme. Arby's is promoting the relationship at arbysracing.com, which details various promotions, including a sweepstakes in which consumers who up-size to a 32-ounce drink and a large order of fries can vie for prizes, including a 2008 Ford Fusion.

The company is a relative latecomer to the Nascar circuit. Hardee's was the first of the fast feeders; in fact, it was the first restaurant chain to link up with Nascar with its sponsorship of Cale Yarborough, followed by the likes of McDonald's and Pizza Hut, which sponsored Terry LaBonte of Hendrick Motorsports.