NASCAR is now stepping on the brakes to a deal after giving approval on driver Brandon Brown’s “Let’s Go Brandon” sponsor, cryptocurrency meme coin LGBcoin.
“Let’s go Brandon,” for the uninitiated, became a viral meme last year after Brown won a race and a reporter claimed fans were cheering “Let’s go Brandon,” though they were clearly chanting “F*** Joe Biden.” The saying has now become a rip on President Joe Biden, as well as the media.
Brown’s spokesman Maxwell Marcucci said Brandonbilt Motorsports received explicit approval of the LGBcoin sponsorship on December 26.
But, now, NASCAR is claiming Brown’s team “jumped the gun” by announcing the partnership.
“We received written approval on the sponsors from a NASCAR Racing Operations official on December 26, 2021,” Marcucci said in a statement. “The team subsequently moved forward with an announcement only after being provided with this approval.”
“The sponsor approval was unambiguous — the first four words of the email from NASCAR state, ‘The sponsors are approved,'” the statement read. “The only feedback offered was related to minor graphic design changes to ensure legibility on the track at 170mph.”
Subsequently, Brown’s team made the announcement on social media:
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
But that triggered a change from NASCAR.
“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,” Marcucci said.
NASCAR also “apologized for any confusion and miscommunication,” the spokesman added.
Before the hiccup with NASCAR, James Koutoulas, hedge fund manager and investor advocate attorney, praised Brown as “America’s Driver.”
“Brandon is not only an incredibly talented driver, but also a thoughtful individual wise beyond his years,” Koutoulas said. “His commitment and singular focus on his profession is inspiring and his personal story is one that we can all be proud of—an American story of success and perseverance. Brandon is truly America’s Driver.”
Brown revealed last week that it has been difficult for him to find sponsorship, due to the political nature of the chant associated with his name.
“It got extremely difficult for us,” Brown told Sports Business Journal. “If you’re a national corporation, that means you sell to all consumers … and unfortunately, when you get dragged into the political arena, people want you to take a side I’ve never been put in a position where it’s, ‘OK, what side are you on? Left or right?’ So it’s hard for a brand to want to attach to somebody who might be kind of divisive in their consumer base.”
Brown told the outlet that he’s a Republican but does not want to mix politics with his racing, The Daily Caller noted.
Related: ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Crypto Coin New Lead Sponsor Of NASCAR Driver At Center Of ‘FJB’ Euphemism