NASCAR is reneging on the approval of driver Brandon Brown’s new sponsor, LGBcoin, after the sports racing association apparently first sent an email saying the sponsor was approved.
LGBcoin is named after the chant “Let’s Go Brandon,” now infamous code words for “F—k Joe Biden” in conservative circles.
“After the announcement went live on Thursday morning, NASCAR acknowledged to us late that afternoon that we had received approval but that they now needed to discuss this at a higher level,” Brown’s spokesperson Maxwell Marcucci told Fox Business.
I’m excited to welcome @LGBcoin_io aboard my No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro as our 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series full season primary partner!
Press release: https://t.co/yWfkonk8vO pic.twitter.com/s8PkfCtnVD
— Brandon Brown (@brandonbrown_68) December 30, 2021
“Marcucci says that Brandonbilt Motorsports was sent approval from a NASCAR Racing Operations official on Dec. 26. An opening line in that email read, ‘The sponsors are approved’ according to the team,” said RacingNews.
Racing News reported previously that NASCAR had said officially that they would legally challenge any merchandise with a controversial LGB, or “Let’s Go Brandon” meme on it that also had the NASCAR logo.
“Brown has since announced this new full-time sponsorship deal centered around the controversial catchphrase,” said Motorsport.com. “The goal of the LGBcoin appears to be to retake the slogan and turn it into something more positive.”
The sponsor, LGBcoin, disclaims any negative connotation about its ubiquitous catch phrase.
“We are proud to support Brandon this season, to help him continue his American dream,” LGB founder James Koutoulas said in the news release, according to the Washington Post. “If we do our job right, when you think of us, and you hear, ‘Let’s Go Brandon,’ you’ll think and feel, ‘Let’s Go America.’ ”
Racing News said that the new Brandonbilt car, with its new sponsor, is supposed to debut Feb. 19 at Daytona International Speedway.
“We will continue to work with NASCAR and look forward to resolving this matter and clearing the air as soon as possible,” Marcucci said.
