NASCAR driver Brandon Brown may have to sit out races this year due to a lack of sponsorships after leaning into the far-right slogan based on his name.
Brown is the Brandon referenced in the popular far-right refrain "Let's Go Brandon," a coded phrase that means "Fu*k Joe Biden." It was coined after a journalist at a 2021 NASCAR event misreported the crowd's chants of "Fu*k Joe Biden" as "Let's Go Brandon" in reference to Brown, the winner of the event.
After leaning into the viral fame his namesake slogan provided, Brown is now stepping down from a race this Saturday after his main sponsorship, an anti-Biden cryptocurrency named after the slogan, went defunct.
He is now being replaced in this weekend's race and is likely to face a similar fate in future races as well.
\u201cTeam statement regarding a driver change for next weekend\u2019s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway\u201d— Brandonbilt Motorsports (@Brandonbilt Motorsports) 1658513468
In the wake of the "Let's Go Brandon" incident, Brown tried to duck away from the viral moment, telling the The New York Times in a December profile titled "Brandon Just Wants to Drive His Racecar" that he had an aversion to politics. He told the Times:
“Our whole navigation is, you want to appeal to everybody, because, all in all, everybody is a consumer."
"I have zero desire to be involved in politics."
Two weeks later however, Brown leaned in, accepting sponsorship for his entire next NASCAR season by a cryptocurrency called Let's Go Brandon, despite NASCAR's public objections.
The coin is now essentially worthless and is also a central component of an ongoing ethics investigation into disgraced former far-right Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn, who promoted the cryptocurrency without disclosing his investments in it.
The cryptocurrency is also the subject of a class-action lawsuit, in which Brown was named as one of the defendants.
Brown has belatedly returned to distancing himself from the slogan and movement he previously embraced.
Earlier this month he participated in an event with a children's book author who has tried to put a positive spin on the catchphrase by writing a children's book about her autistic son Brandon, who thought the "Let's Go Brandon" chant was in reference to him.
\u201cGood things happening here\ud83d\ude0e\ud83d\udc4a\n\nhttps://t.co/MOgAPLzofr\u201d— Brandon Brown (@Brandon Brown) 1658151742
But being linked to a slogan beloved by the anti-Biden far-right has unsurprisingly alienated sponsors who don't wish to be associated with America's strain of increasingly extremist conservatism.
Brown lamented the situation he has found himself in while speaking to racing news site Frontstretch:
"I’m still viewed as a political figure."
"I can be viewed as divisive because of the chant. It’s really hard to convince companies that, ‘Hey, that’s not me. That’s just what the crowd was chanting.’ It does make it hard."
On Twitter, some lamented that Brown had gotten caught in the crossfire of America's culture wars.
\u201cThat first career win at Talladega last year is forever going to be a curse against him, isn't it?\u201d— Alan Nadeau III (@Alan Nadeau III) 1658868964
\u201cI really hate what has happened to Brandon Brown, he got completely screwed thank to the LGB situation and now he cant even run full-time in his own car anymore because of sponsor issues #NASCAR\u201d— Daniel Kriete (@Daniel Kriete) 1658933958
\u201c@brandonbrown_68 This is what I hate so much about the current state of the sport, sponsors are so hard attain and the money is big that it overshadows what I want to see and that\u2019s good drivers like you competing for a win! Hopefully things shake out for you to land more sponsors!\u201d— Brandon Brown (@Brandon Brown) 1658528975
But many felt Brown brought it all on himself.
\u201c@cooltxchick I'd feel bad for the guy if he hadn't leaned right in with the let's go brandon coin sponsor he allowed on his car after the fact. Looks good on him I say.\u201d— Ty Ross (@Ty Ross) 1658937183
\u201c@Frontstretch \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to convince companies that, \u2018Hey, that\u2019s not me. That\u2019s just what the crowd was chanting.\u2019 It does make it hard.\u201d\n\nBro was in on the grift how can he say that lol\u2014he can\u2019t find sponsors because he is being sued https://t.co/njNghvqY5i\u201d— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) 1658868775
\u201cWhen karma bites. https://t.co/GpZlpWJmO0\u201d— John Obeto II (@John Obeto II) 1658958180
\u201cCome on now! He knew that no company was going to touch him with sponsorship.\nhttps://t.co/p6V73TJHFQ\u201d— KT (@KT) 1659015881
\u201cThe first thing BB should do, is STOP MAKING BAD DECISIONS. Your career will be much smoother. If u need proof, chk out Matt DiBenedetto.\n\nNASCAR driver at the center of 'Let's go Brandon' may have to skip races in 2022 thanks to a lack of sponsorship\nhttps://t.co/md1NxSIN1C\u201d— Bud Lanctot (@Bud Lanctot) 1658971298
\u201c@RobergMartin15 He was in on the grift and is being sued as a result https://t.co/njNghvqY5i\u201d— Martin \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Martin \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1658933674
\u201cThat's kind of what happens when you turn your back on the relationships that helped get you there to try to capitalize on being the accidental center of a politically based crypto scheme that flopped.\u201d— Jon Doble (@Jon Doble) 1658950289
\u201cGee maybe if he didn\u2019t jump on the fake crypto bandwagon with fraudster Maddie Cawthorn and his associates then he might still be driving but he embraced the MAGA crowd instead. JMO.\u201d— Rusti Rollings \ud83c\udff4\u200d\u2620\ufe0f\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf3b\ud83d\udc99 (@Rusti Rollings \ud83c\udff4\u200d\u2620\ufe0f\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf3b\ud83d\udc99) 1658937594
Brown told Frontstretch he will be racing in his usual car, Number 68, for two upcoming races, but the car will likely be driven by other racers who can secure funding for the rest of the season.
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
@arianagrande/Instagram
@arianagrande/Instagram