Chili's® Grill & Bar and Spire Motorsports Bring Iconic Throwback to Alumni Weekend

Carson Hocevar will commemorate Dale Earnhardt's 1981 paint scheme at Darlington Raceway with the introduction of the Chili's Marg Machine

DALLAS, March 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Chili's® Grill & Bar and Spire Motorsports are building on the Ride the 'Dente…Again'te campaign, turning back the clock for Alumni Weekend at Darlington Raceway by introducing the Chili's Marg Machine, a No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 design for driver Carson Hocevar that will transport race fans back more than four decades.

"Last year, we noticed the chatter comparing Carson's driving style to a young Dale Earnhardt, and it's only grown louder as big names in the sport make the comparison," said Chili's Director of Media Tim Forman. "Given the discussion, we wanted to honor Dale's legacy, using his 1981 paint scheme as the inspiration for what we're calling the Marg Machine. Spire and Carson were all in, and we hope fans enjoy seeing the iconic blue and yellow on track again."

Chili's and Spire leaned into the design's blue and yellow base, number font, and the iconic chevron linework across the hood that differentiated it from Earnhardt's others. On the hood is the classic Chili's heritage logo, seen in restaurants across the country for decades, but this time in blue. On the back, instead of the block-lettered "Jeans Machine", fans and trailing drivers will see "Marg Machine", a nod to the original design while staying true to Chili's, the brand that sells more margaritas than any restaurant brand in the U.S., nearly 30 million in 2025 alone.

With the firesuit, Chili's is building on the western theme of its Ride the 'Dente® campaign, going full Earnhardt in a uniquely Chili's way, reimagining the blue jean and suede vest set he wore in promotional images in 1981. The new firesuit features a wide collar, open vest design, a now-iconic Texas-sized belt buckle detail, and the "Ride the 'Dente" logo across the back.

"Chili's always knocks it out of the park with their suit and car designs, and the Marg Machine is no different," said Hocevar. "Everyone at Chili's and Spire put in a lot of work to get the car as close to the original as possible, and they did a great job. We've had bold suits in the past, but this might be one of my favorites. It's truly a privilege to honor Dale's legacy on Alumni Weekend down in Darlington, and hopefully we can give him and all the folks from Chili's a great run on Sunday."

A legacy brand of its own, the founders of Chili's built a culture 51 years ago where Chiliheads learn to take the food seriously but not themselves. Fans who look closely at the chevron linework on the hood will see the names of both those founders known as the Hamburger Hippies and the members of the Chili's Hall of Fame, a special shoutout to those responsible for shaping what's become a restaurant favorite around the world.

Race fans in the Darlington area have a chance to see Hocevar and the No. 77 Chili's Marg Machine Chevy on track throughout the Darlington race weekend, culminating Sunday, March 22 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1 for 400 miles. Fans at the track can wear their fandom with a fresh merch drop featuring the throwback design, available at Fan Zone merch locations. Before that, they can get up close to both car and driver with a meet and greet at the Florence Chili's (3015 W Radio Dr, Florence, SC 29501), Saturday, March 21, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. local time. For Chili's guests who aren't in Darlington, the opportunity to Ride the 'Dente always exists on the menu at their local Chili's in the form of a Presidente Margarita®. Must be 21+ to consume alcohol.

About Chili's® Grill & Bar

Hi, welcome to Chili's! A proud leader in the casual dining industry and the flagship brand of Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT), Chili's was named Ad Age's 2025 Brand of the Year. Founded in 1975, Chili's is known for serving Big Mouth Burgers®, Crispy Chicken Crispers®, and sizzling fajitas, while hand-shaking more margaritas than any other restaurant brand in the United States. Chili's operates 1,600 restaurants in 31 countries and two territories with over 70,000 team members. With a purpose to make everyone feel special, Chiliheads take food, drink and service seriously – but not themselves. Chili's was a proud winner at the 2025 MenuMasters Awards for Best New Menu Item for Nashville Hot Mozz, the breakout addition to the social media-famous Triple Dipper. For more than 20 years, Chili's has been a proud supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and has raised more than $120 million for the organization through generous guest and team member donations. Find more information at chilis.com, follow on X or Instagram, like on Facebook, or join Chili's on TikTok.  

About Spire Motorsports

Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing. 

The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports' No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team's most recent win came on Feb. 21, 2026, when Kyle Busch took the checkered flag in the FR8 Racing 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

In 2026, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., organization will also field the No. 77 410 sprint car in Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing competition.

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SOURCE Chili's Grill & Bar