Did you know that the slogan “Let’s Go Brandon” started with NASCAR? The controversial slogan was coined after events at a NASCAR race in Talladega last October. Brandon Brown won a race and was in the process of giving a post-race interview when an NBC Sports reporter claimed that supporters were screaming “Let’s Go Brandon.” The reporter was wrong – the crowd was chanting “F— Joe Biden.”
Since then, the slogan used as a subtle critique of President Joe Biden went viral. Brandon Brown’s Xfinity Series team requested permission to run a sponsor promoting the term, but NASCAR rejected it, per report.
Last Monday, Brown and his crew revealed the sponsor LGBCoin, a cryptocurrency startup whose first three letters are a play on the word, apparently thinking the deal had been approved by NASCAR. To follow the formal process, a team must submit paint schemes and sponsorship to NASCAR for approval.
NASCAR confirmed that the sponsorship was not officially approved at the time of the announcement.
“Let’s Go Brandon” has subsequently become a popular right-wing rallying cry against the President, but NASCAR’s sanctioning body has taken a strong stand against it.
NASCAR authorities spoke with Brown’s Brandonbilt Motorsports team at NASCAR’s championship race in Phoenix, according to a source familiar with the encounter. They said the phrase would not be allowed in any official setting, including sponsorships.
In an interview with The New York Times, Brown indicated that he had no desire to be involved in politics. He further claimed that the phrase was preventing him from obtaining corporate partnerships.