Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge-Themed Car Will Race in Nashville NASCAR Race
When NASCAR returns to Nashville Superspeedway for the first time in a decade on Sunday (June 20), one car will honor a Music City institution. During the Ally 400, Trackhouse Racing's Daniel Suarez will race in a car sponsored by Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
Tootsie's has been open on Nashville's Lower Broadway since 1960, when original owner Hattie Louise "Tootsie" Bess purchased the restaurant. A hired painter painted the building's exterior its famous light-purple color by mistake, but Bess left it, and the shade has become the venue's calling card; as such, Suarez's No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro will be the same color for the Sunday race.
Suarez's car will also feature the Tootsie's logo. His driver uniform, meanwhile, will incorporate the logo and cowboy boots.
"I know much more about country music in Mexico than I do about country music in the United States, but my crew chief Travis Mack and I are going to Nashville early in the week to experience Tootsie’s for ourselves," shares Suarez — a 29-year-old native of Monterrey, Mexico — in a press release. Indeed, on Wednesday evening (June 16), Suarez posted a photo of himself and Mack at the Nashville International Airport location of Tootsie's:
"Tootsie’s has meant so much to so many young artists," Suarez adds, "and I am so very thankful Tootsie’s is supporting our young team, as well."
After Bess opened Tootsie's, the venue became a haven for songwriters and artists, especially up-and-comers. Live music is still a cornerstone of the bar's atmosphere, as is customary at most Lower Broadway establishments.
The Ally 400 is the first NASCAR Cup Series race in the area in 37 years. The race will begin at 3:30PM ET on NBCSN.