Crypto Meme Not Yet Confirmed as NASCAR Sponsor

NASCAR driver Brandon Brown — he of the “Let’s Go Brandon” fame — has secured sponsorship from cryptocurrency meme coin LGB.coin.io for his 2022 Xfinity Series ride.

However, there’s one problem — NASCAR has yet to approve it.

Yep, first news post of 2022 and we’re writing about “let’s go Brandon” and cryptocurrency on the Ethereum blockchain. This is the world we live in.

The LGB meme plays off the catchphrase that has become popular in conservative political circles. The phrase got popular last year when fans chanted “f–k Joe Biden” during a post-race interview with Brown, and the reporter, mishearing the chant (or trying to clean up the language for live TV), said they were chanting “Let’s go Brandon”. The latter phrase is now code for the former.

Brown had been quiet about the attention, but he’s recently spoken with the New York Times about the situation, and he wrote an op-ed in Newsweek detailing his difficulties with finding sponsorship. He told the Times he’s a Republican but also has said he’s not particularly political or interested in leading a political movement. However, he also wrote this in Newsweek: “I’m also no longer going to be silent about the situation I find myself in, and why millions of Americans are chanting my name. I hear them, even if Washington does not.” He wrote that after pointing out the difficulties that the rising price of fuel and most consumer goods cause for the middle class.

Brown’s number 68 will be sponsored by LGBcoin for all 33 events in 2022.

Here’s what a press release from LGBcoin said: “We are thrilled to partner with Brandonbilt Motorsports and Brandon Brown for the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season,” said James Koutoulas, LGBcoin HODLer and founder of Typhoon Capital Management. “Brandon is not only an incredibly talented driver, but also a thoughtful individual wise beyond his years. 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. We are proud to support Brandon this season, to help him continue his American dream. 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.'”

However, NASCAR has not officially approved the sponsorship or the paint scheme, despite the team making the announcement on Dec. 30. NASCAR approves all sponsorships and paint schemes, and it has discouraged the use of the “let’s go Brandon” chant and says it will legally take down any merchandise that combines the phrase and official NASCAR branding.

The race team said it was told the sponsorship had been approved via an email on December 26. Spokesperson Mark Marcucci told Fox Business: “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.”

Whatever the case, LGBcoin is up over 50 percent since Thursday.

Welcome to 2022.

[Images: NASCAR]