NASCAR President Steve Phelps has threatened to sue those who use the “Let’s Go, Brandon” slogan on merchandise featuring the NASCAR’s trademarks and has condemned the use of the slogan, claiming that NASCAR does not want to be associated with politics.
The Associated Press reported:
Phelps … said NASCAR will pursue action against any illegal use of its trademarks on merchandise boasting the slogan. Retired baseball star Lenny Dykstra posted a photo on Twitter this week of a man eating breakfast at a New Jersey hotel wearing a black “Let’s go, Brandon” shirt alongside NASCAR’s trademarked color bars.
“We will pursue whoever (is using logos) and get that stuff,” Phelps said. “That’s not OK. It’s not OK that you’re using our trademarks illegally, regardless of whether we agree with what the position is.”
A key member of #TeamNails was pleased to see this just a few min ago at a Holiday Inn Express in Passaic County, NJ (as, it seemed, was everyone else eating there) #LetsGoBrandon #FuckJoeBiden @GETTRofficial @alliesinger @I_AmMelissa_ @DolansBar @DonaldJTrumpJr @JasonMillerinDC pic.twitter.com/nD46Jtn7B8
— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) November 3, 2021
The slogan started last month at a NASCAR race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama when NBC Sports reporter Kelli Stavast was interviewing driver Brandon Brown after he won the race.
As Stavast interviewed Brown, “F*** Joe Biden” chants broke out in the stands, but Stavast claimed that they were chanting “Let’s go, Brandon.”
The “Let’s Go, Brandon” slogan has since become code for “F*** Joe Biden” and is commonly used at sporting events and various other locations.
“I feel for Brandon,” Phelps said. “I think unfortunately it speaks to the state of where we are as a country. We do not want to associate ourselves with politics, the Left or the Right. We obviously have and we’ve always had, as a sport, tremendous respect for the office of the president — no matter who is sitting.”
“Do we like the fact that it kind of started with NASCAR and then is gaining ground elsewhere? No, we’re not happy about that,” Phelps added. “But we will continue to make sure that we have respect for the office of the president.”
The move by Phelps to condemn the chant and to claim that NASCAR wants to stay out of politics comes after NASCAR embraced leftist social justice causes last year and this year.
The Associated Press reported in February:
As a new season begins Sunday with the Daytona 500, a new era of social consciousness has enveloped the sport and NASCAR is committed for the long haul. … In fact, NASCAR President Steve Phelps cited a brand tracking study by Directions Research that found that 1,750 self-identified “avid NASCAR fans” overwhelmingly supported the sanctioning body’s stance on social justice in 2020.
“It was a moment in time back in June that seemed, for us, it was the right time to act. I think it was the right time for our country. I think it was the right time for our sport. The response to that was fantastic,” Phelps said. “What we do in the areas of social justice and diversity equity inclusion is going to be authentic to who we are. May not be the right thing for the NBA, but it’s going to be the right thing for us.”
“There was a question at the time: Social justice, is that something a sport should do, NASCAR should do?” Phelps added. “Do we have permission to do it? The answer is yes.”