Getty Brandon Brown will make his fifth start at Martinsville Speedway.
The NASCAR driver inadvertently thrust into the center of politics has addressed his situation. Brandon Brown, the driver of the No. 68 Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet, addressed the ‘Let’s go, Brandon’ political chants and suggested an alternative message.
Brown provided his thoughts in an opinion piece for Newsweek. He explained that the chant “Let’s go, Brandon” was something that his family members have done throughout his racing career but now he hears it at bars, stadiums, and political venues.
The result is that Brown received more media requests than ever before, but he turned them down due to receiving advice to remain quiet on the situation. He explained that he did not know how his sponsors would react and that he had a fear of being canceled by them or the media for something that had little to do with him.
The Talladega-winning driver added that he took time to figure out why people around the country were chanting his name. He wrote that he came to the realization that people are struggling to get by and that they have a right to voice frustration. Though Brown clarified that he is not going to tell people who to vote for and that it’s not his business.
“I have no interest in leading some political fight. I race cars. I am not going to endorse anyone, and I am certainly not going to tell anyone how to vote,” Brown wrote in the Newsweek piece. “But 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.”
Brown clarified in the opinion piece that he will focus on driving nearly 100% of the time, but he may still speak about issues that Americans face together. He also suggested an alternate chant, “Let’s go, America.”
The Chant Originated During a Post-Race Interview
GettyBrandon Brown celebrates a win at Talladega Superspeedway.
“Let’s Go, Brandon” originated after Brown played spoiler at Talladega Superspeedway on October 2. He won the first Xfinity Series race of his career, what should have been a major moment for him and his team. However, the situation changed during his interview on the frontstretch.
NBC Sports reporter Kelli Stavast spoke to Brown about his momentous win while the crowd in the background chanted, “f*** Joe Biden.” She said that “As you can hear the chants from the crowd, ‘Let’s go, Brandon’” while keeping the interview moving.
There was no clear answer at the time as to whether Stavast was covering up the chant or if she heard incorrectly. Regardless, “Let’s go, Brandon” became a phrase that people around the country heard or saw on t-shirts at a variety of venues. It took on a life of its own while Brown became a side story.
NASCAR’s President Also Addressed the Chants
NASCAR has tried to distance itself from the chant in the months following Brown’s victory at Talladega. NASCAR President Steve Phelps even addressed the situation during his annual press conference ahead of the championship race.
“I feel for Brandon,” Phelps said on November 5, transcript courtesy of USA Today. “I think unfortunately it speaks to the state of where we are as a country. We do not want to associate ourselves with politics, the left or the right. We obviously have and we’ve always had, as a sport, tremendous respect for the office of the president — no matter who is sitting.
“…Do we like the fact that it kind of started with NASCAR and then is gaining ground elsewhere? No, we’re not happy about that. But we will continue to make sure that we have respect for the office of the president.”
The expectation is that chants will still surface during the 2022 NASCAR season despite Brown advocating for a different chant and Phelps saying that NASCAR has respect for the office. For Brown, he will move forward toward the Xfinity Series season with his focus on winning more races. He just may occasionally take time to address other issues.
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