County man is Bubba Wallace show car manager for McDonalds

Episode 390

February 20, 2022

McDonald’s Talladega Victory Tour Mobile Marketing Manager from the County 

The 23XI Racing team with Bubba Wallace Talladega 2021 winning Toyota which will be part of the McDonald’s Tour in 2022. This car, now on the show circuit, will be tended by Washburn, Maine’s Steve Doody. (Team 23XI Racing photo)

Did you ever get THE TEXT MESSAGE? November 2021 Steve Doody got such a text  from former boss Jordan Bressler President and CEO of TSMGI . The text went something like this, “Hey Steve, we getting a deal in line for the 2022 show-car schedule. Would you like to be part of the launch of the McDonald’s Talladega Victory Tour featuring the Bubba Wallace race winning #23?”

TSMGI is located in Chicago where McDonald’s is also located. World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis will be closest to headquarters that the show car will be unless the schedule changes.

Doody had last worked for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015 bringing their race car from show-to-show when he pulled out of the business. After getting the text from Bressler, Doody said, ” Of the 330 million people in the USA I was so fortunate and humble to get the honor to respond with a resounding YES!”

Doody was recently driving truck for Falcon Transportation until late 2019 when he went to work for K & E Transport, West Newfield, Maine, primarily hauling Advantech products up and down the east from the J.M. Huber mill in Easton, Maine.

Doody will be joined on the road by his wife of 45+ years, Becky. Coincidentally Steve and Becky were married the day after my wife, Donna, and I were married. We on July 30, 1976 and they July 31, 1976.

Of course Steve and Becky will be wearing NIKE footwear since one of the primary owners of 23XI Racing is basketball superstar, Michael Jordan. He, along with NASCAR Cup driver Denny Hamlin formed the team at the end of 2020 season.

The first show will be in Atlanta in March. That will be followed by a week off to work out the bugs on the new rig and to work on their presentation techniques. The second show will be at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando April 4-7, 2022 for McDonald’s Worldwide Convention.

An estimated 15,000 franchisees from around the planet will be in attendance. Many will sign up for a chance to have the show car at their location if a visit will fit in the existing schedule.

Doody has twelve major events lined up for the show car and expects more to be added as the season progresses. The closest he is scheduled to be to the northeast is the Pocono Raceway NASCAR Weekend July 22-24, 2022.

McDonalds driver Bubba Wallace came within .25 seconds of winning his second Cup race at the Daytona 500 February 20th. Imagine the excitement that would have generated with the Tour.

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace on left and Frenchville native Shawn Martin sign autographs at the 2014 Andy Santerre Snowmobile Charity Fundraiser for the AMHC Sexual Assault Hotline at the Aroostook Center Mall in Presque Isle. (HTF Motorsports photo)

Wallace is no stranger to the County. He took part in the 8th Annual & 10th Annual Andy Santerre SNO-RUN Fundraiser Events. in 2012 and 2014 in Presque Isle and Caribou. The Aroostook Mental Health Center (AMHC) Sexual Assault Hotline was the recipient of funds from those well-attended snowmobile drives and banquets. Wallace is sponsored by McDonalds, Door Dash, Dr. Pepper, Root Insurance, Columbia Sports Wear, and Leidos for the 2022 race season.

Doody not a rookie mobile marketing manager

Much of the following information was from October 19, 2014 Episode of UpNorth Motorsports interview with Doody.

Doody grew up in the small town in Aroostook County better known for its winning high school basketball, soccer, and cross-country teams and potatoes. The little town of 1000 or so residents is not known as the hot bed of racing.

As a young man Doody considered himself a racing fan known for his salesmanship and pleasant manner. He followed the racing at Spud Speedway from the front of the pack serving as the pace car driver in the early 70’s. His favorite drivers were the Mars Hill bunch, Dick Wheeler in the Snoopy car, Eddie Gilman in the Red Baron car and future Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame member, #96 Bobby Alexander.

The son of George and Velva Doody of Washburn, Doody graduated from Washburn District High School in 1969 and headed off to the University of Maine at Orono where he got his Biology degree in the College of Agriculture and Life Science.
After graduating with his B.S. degree in 1973, Doody decided to pursue a career in sales and marketing with Agway. This desire was fueled by summers between years at college spent in retail sales at the Maine Potato Growers (MPG) Farmstore in Presque Isle.

His job title at the Skowhegan Agway was manager-trainee. The time in Skowhegan was very beneficial to his career and his personal life when he met his wife-to-be Rebecca McElrath of Skowhegan.

In 1974 he transferred to the Brewer Agway as the Assistant Manager. When a transfer to the Westbrook store was in the works Doody married Becky July 31,1976.

After 4 years in Westbrook, Doody served one year back in Skowhegan before being asked to manage the Caribou Agway store and return to the County. He managed the Caribou store until 1992 when he took over the helm at the MPG Farmstore in Presque Isle from 1992 to 2003.

While at MPG he made several inquires about the utilization of the Texaco Havoline mobile display race car as well as making contacts at various conventions and trade shows. Sponsorship by True Value hardware in the International Race of Champions (IROC) series placed him at several events where he rubbed shoulders with drivers and marketing personnel. At one event he mentioned to the Mobile Display manager that, “When I retire I would like to get a job taking this IROC car around”.

Wouldn’t you know it a couple of years later in 2004 he got a phone call from TSMGI Marketing to act as their Mobile Display manager for the #17 Matt Kenseth USG race car. This would involve 9 months of travel to customer focused events at dealer’s lots for their top-notch customers. Doody’s favorite visits were to the plants where sheetrock was produced as well as the gypsum mines in Iowa.

Since USG was the title sponsor at Chicagoland and Charlotte Motor Speedway Doody was responsible for explaining the car and the USG products to race fans as well as posing for and taking photos of countless Kenseth fans.

As the Dewalt Mobile Display manager Doody (on right) assisting Matt Kenseth (left) with his responsibilities during an autograph session. Roush Racing’s Public relations manager Kevin Woods looks on in the background. This was the DeWalt mobile display. (Steve Doody photo)

Doody also did pit tours at Charlotte as well “meet and greets” at Bristol. At Texas Speedway he brought the USG VIP contest winners on pit tours as well as meeting with Kenseth.

Doody was with the USG mobile display from 2004 to 2008. When the housing market fell apart in 2008 USG pulled in the reins on marketing connections with Roush and TSMGI Marketing. Doody took a Mobile Marketing job with Pierce Promotions in Portland, Maine with the Roush DeWalt car. The display unit included the myriad variety of products produced and sold by DeWalt.

Washburn’s Steve Doody with the Roush Racing DeWalt #17 driven by Matt Kenseth. This was the mobile display unit managed by Doody. (Steve Doody photo)

The mobile units were actual race cars fabricated at the Roush race shop in Concord, North Carolina. The cars were either obsolete or damaged and no longer competitive in the Sprint Cup series. A detuned engine was installed and a sponsor wrap made to current sponsor specifications was featured on the car. Doody would pick up his mobile display car at the Roush shops as he and the car began their nine month journey together.

The 2010 and 2011 season found Doody again working for TSMGI Marketing representing USG Sheetrock only without the racecar. He was in charge of mobile displays of USG lightweight synthetic gypsum products primarily visiting Home Depot stores.

In 2012 Doody came back home to become a department manager of hardware at the Presque Isle Lowe’s until he once again got the call to go on the road, only this time in the Indy Car side of mobile displays. Marketing Werks of Chicago wanted Doody to be their Mobile Marketing Manager on the Verizon Penske, Dallara Indy Car driven by Will Power.

Doody’s 2014 stint in motorsports marketing as the Mobile Marketing manager with Chicago based Marketing Werks featuring the Penske Verizon Indy car driven by Indy Car series champion Australian Will Power. This was Doody’s first venture into the world of Indy Car racing. (Steve Doody photo)

Verizon had also signed on as the title sponsor with Indy Car Series in addition to their sponsorship of the #2 Penske Racing Dallara DW 12 Chevrolet. Power went on to win the series championship. As the series champion Power has the right to wear #1 on his race car in 2015 which he did.

Doody now has three grandchildren, two live in New Limerick and one in Connecticut. He hopes to fit get some visiting time with them as his busy schedules allows this summer. Of course the of-season will be filled with family visits to either their Washburn home or Lake Placid, Florida residence.

Let’s go racing,

Tom Hale

Soli Deo Gloria (Matthew 5:16)