Hello,
I am abhorrently disgusted with Brian France's endorsement of Donald Trump last week. While his defense for publicly backing Trump has been "I am a public citizen," it is also the case that he is a public figure and is inherently tied to NASCAR as a whole. In other words, his statements, for better or worse, represent all of NASCAR to the general public, whether he likes it or not.
I have been a fan of this sport for all 25 years of my life. In this time, NASCAR has done a wonderful job in turning its image around, with programs such as NASCAR's Drive for Diversity. While not perfect, NASCAR has attracted more fans outside of its key demographic: older, Southern white males. NASCAR even came out against Indiana's anti-gay legislation last year. These steps forward are what make this endorsement that much harder to swallow. It feels like NASCAR is going not just 3 steps back, but thirty.
Because of France's public support of Trump, I will no longer be supporting the NASCAR community. No longer will I tune in every Sunday to watch races. No longer will I attend the races in the West Coast Swing, which are some of my favorite memories growing up. I cannot support an organization that so hypocritically backs such a malicious, racist, sexist, discriminatory, narrow minded candidate. It seems a little ironic that France is supporting someone that so rudely speaks his mind, when France can't stand when his own drivers do it to his organization. Now when my friends make fun of NASCAR, I will no longer vigorously defend the sport; instead, I'll be joining them in denouncing an organization that supports the characterizations it has been trying to escape from for decades.
I wish you all the best moving forward. Hopefully you can find a sponsor and support from a company that is as judgmental, anti-environmental, and xenophobic as the people you support.
Best,
Cody Foster
