KANSAS CITY, Kansas — If you’re trying to make a return to Cup racing for the first time since NASCAR fined you a couple hundred grand almost a decade ago, and you don’t have much financial backing, well, you might be tempted to take sponsor money from wherever it comes.
Even a medical marijuana-like company.
Carl Long, last seen in a Cup race way back in 2009, before NASCAR fined him $200,000, rolled into Kansas Speedway Friday with very little funding, even less sleep and an interesting sponsor on the hood of his race car: Veedverks.
What is Veedverks? Well, it’s hard to know exactly, since the company’s “About Us” page reads like this:
We all see the world from a different perspective, but few experience the view afforded to us from the control cabin of our mighty rigid airship. We grace the Rocky Mountain skyline with our powerful and elegant dirigible. The hum of our powerful engines comforts the world below with the sound of freedom. The sun sets on the foothills as we cast a fading shadow over the Mile High city.
The Denver-based company’s products include Indica, Sativa and Hybrid “experiences” that, according to testimonials on their website, are great for bad backs, so draw your own conclusions.
NASCAR has. All potential sponsors have to be approved by the sanctioning body, and Friday NASCAR just said no to Veedverks.
NASCAR didn’t cite a specific reason for the denial, but Section 7.6.2.a of the NASCAR rule book says “NASCAR may refuse to permit a Competitor to participate in an Event if NASCAR determines that any advertising, sponsorship, or similar agreement to which the Competitor is or will be a party, is detrimental to the sport, to NASCAR, Series Sponsor, or to the Promoter for any reason, including without limitation, the public image of the sport.”
While Veedverks claims its products are legal in all 50 states, its three types of cartridges contain trace amounts of THC, the principal psychoactive in marijuana.
Long left Charlotte at 6 a.m. Thursday morning, driving his own hauler, and arrived at Kansas Speedway around Midnight. It had been eight years since he last attempted to qualify for a Cup race.
Back in 2009, he attempted the qualifying race for the All-Star Race, but made it just three laps and finished last. During post-race inspection, NASCAR deemed that Long’s engine – which he said he got from a supplier – was 0.17 inches too big. The sanctioning body fined the team $200,000. At that point, it was the largest monetary fine in NASCAR history.
Long couldn’t afford it, so for the past seven seasons he was banned from the Cup Series garage.
He hasn’t been gone from NASCAR entirely. He’s run 96 Xfinity Series races, 12 Camping World Truck Series races and is listed as the owner of MBM Motorsports, which fields the Nos. 13 and 40 cars in the Xfinity Series.
But you don’t get rich in NASCAR’s bottom two series unless you have a big-dollar sponsor. And Long hasn’t had a big-dollar sponsor.
Before the 2017 season, he satisfied his requirements regarding the fine, according to NASCAR, and was allowed back into the Cup garage.
On May 5, he put a plea out for $25,000 for a company to sponsor him for this weekend’s Go Bowling 400. The going rate for a one-race sponsorship with a top Cup Series team can be 10 times that amount, or even more. But Long just needed some money from someone.
“I put out a number, here it is,” Long said. “Most standard deals are about 300 grand, $250,000. I know I’m not going to be Jeff Gordon and [Dale Earnhardt Jr.] and all that kind of stuff, but this week coming back, I’m going to get a lot of press. And if someone can get us [$25,000], we can get here.”
https://sports.yahoo.com/news/banned-driver-back-nascar-says-no-hemp-sponsor-223848546.html
Alcohol is a better sponsor for driving sports?! I realize one stoned individual might get lost on an oval track, may even be a bit slower than others, but really folks, they are scared.
LOL!
Can say one wouldn’t get lost anywhere while being stoned, unless inclined to get lost while not, and as far as racing, no slower.
Funny though!:D
Would go for veed for the win lol!
Yep, agree! they are scared, haven’t watched racing in a loooong time, so not sure who all the sponsors are now? Guessing Pharma has it’s place amongst? Did a “quick” search see Lilly is a sponsor of nascar, seems remember when did watch (long ago) it, zantac came out as a big sponsor, if remember correctly? Kinda turned my stomach (pun intended) didn’t watch much after that.
When I see a big pot leaf on a nascar car as a sponsor.
I’ll know we have started to evolve.
Can you even imagine a NASCAR driver with a big cannabis leaf winning NASCAR. .?
I can…
Throw a Bud Light sponsor on it too…!
On the azz..end..it says.
This Bud’s 4U.
but seagrams is an acceptable sponsor?
Brian France sure knows how to F up a good thing
I hope this sport tanks and he goes bankrupt
I used to be an avid watcher , have been to many races , even got a chance to drive a NASCAR up to 160 mph what a rush
But from the constant liberal view of the owner
Myself, a lot of my friends and some family members saw the writing on the wall a few years back and spend our time drinking beer doing other stuff, not this anymore
Really Stock Car Racing has been dead for decades
nascar is boring. Good to put on if you want to take a nap. Step on the gas and turn left. Probably wouldn’t make any difference if all the drivers were stoned, or blindfolded for that matter.
“WE, THE GOD-FEARIN’ WHITE PEOPLE OF ROCK RIDGE…won’t tolerate devil weed advertising in our holiest of sports!”
Of course it’s MUCH easier to explain to your 10 year old what that Viagra car is all about…
Remember this: NASCAR is not racing, it’s entertainment. Just like football, basketball, etc. it is the modern version of the old Roman “bread and circuses” to keep the people complacent and distracted while the empire crumbles around them. And yes, it’s the Jooooz once again who are controlling this…just look at who’s running CBS, ESPN, et al. Controlling everything you see and hear…telling you what’s cool and what isn’t. Stop falling for it, cancel your cable!