‘Dark Knight Rises’ Heads to NASCAR With Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Car

A surprising number of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ marketing initiatives have been tied to the world of sports. First, we had those Batman-themed TV spots for the NBA. And now the Bat is taking his act to NASCAR. Git ‘R Done!

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Sprint Cup Series “royalty” (more for his name than his performance on the track), has teamed with Warner Bros. and Diet Mountain Dew to drive with a Batman design on his No. 88 car at the June 15 NASCAR race in Michigan, according to a release. Fans even can vote for which paint scheme Junior will use at the race by clicking here and casting a ballot. One car option is above. The other two are below.

“I’ve always been a big fan of the Batman movies, so having a special ‘The Dark Knight Rises’-inspired paint scheme on my car is pretty cool for me,” said Earnhardt Jr., who races for Hendrick Motorsports. “I had some creative input on one of the designs, but no matter which one the fans select, it’s going to look pretty awesome flying around the track at Michigan.”

It goes without saying that Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is an anticipated hit. But with Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’ dominating the box office, Warner is wise to cover ALL of its bases, and appealing to the enormous NASCAR fan base can only help raise awareness and sell more tickets.

So, which design do you think Junior’s No. 88 should spot at the Michigan track? Voting will take place at the above link or on www.DewCrew.com through Tuesday, May 22, at noon EST. Earnhardt then will unveil the winning design during Hendrick Motorsports Fan Fest on Friday, May 25.

All images courtesy of Mountain Dew/NASCAR