Today NASCAR driver Corey Lajoie is on the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a brand new sponsor. Beginning this week Lajoie will be driving for the remainder of the season with a bit of a political message on his hood.
NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie's No. 32 Ford car will debut a "Trump 2020" paint scheme in red, white and blue on Sunday at the Brickyard 400. It's the latest in a series of political messages that have appeared on NASCAR cars in recent weeks. https://t.co/2I1EZFhT3g
— CNN (@CNN) July 2, 2020
.@CoreyLaJoie tackles a "Crown Jewel" race this Sunday at @IMS with the Trump 2020 Ford.
Read our race story here:https://t.co/8Sp9asxClg pic.twitter.com/NqyRqObZOz
— Go Fas Racing (@GoFasRacing32) July 3, 2020
Of course this brought the expected bile from those incapable of separating politics from those with no influence over the decision. Lajoie is an employee of the team, and the owners accepted the deal from Patriots of America PAC. The driver however has beeen absorbing criticism from some fans and even being accused of being a racist — as a result of the car, and nothing more. This has been only heightened as a result of the racial tensions from the past few weeks involving the POC driver Bubba Wallace.
Sorry guys, given the political climate and the message NASCAR is trying to make regarding racism, this is not a good choice. Sometimes money should not be the driving force. And it smacks a fellow competitor right in the face. #BlackLivesMatter #RideWithBubba
— Dean Sever (@blues1967) July 1, 2020
Who the hell even heard of @CoreyLaJoie? I hope his car gets destroyed in the first lap…no, I hope it won't even start! NO MATTER WHAT… IT'S GONNA BE A LOSER, just like @realDonaldTrump!!!https://t.co/rAUPqkZfeM
— Terri Perry (@MyKidsHavePaws) July 5, 2020
Those were the tame responses. The social media outrage became enough for Corey to make the move to lockdown his account.
What makes this all the more ignorant is that Lajoie and Bubba Wallace are actually quite close. Both drivers attended the same high school, and they work together on charitable efforts. During the last race, at Talledega Raceway, there was an incident where Wallace ran out of fuel on the track, and Corey Lajoie moved in to push Wallace in order to guide him back to pit row.
.@BubbaWallace gets a late race push from @CoreyLaJoie after running out of fuel during a late race caution during the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. #NASCAR https://t.co/04zgXWsxpH pic.twitter.com/8Es7TCAHAV
— Daylon Barr (@BarrVisuals) June 23, 2020
But the ignorant ones want to leap to accusations of racism and intolerance. It is your basic sign that we are still a long way off from bringing something that resembles unity in this country. It seems it will take more than evidence to the contrary to help.
Both of these things are okay because we live in the United States, a country where people are allowed to voice differing opinions. I’m still going to support both @BubbaWallace and @CoreyLaJoie because they’re both good people and talented race car drivers
????? pic.twitter.com/HoeRzY1j5G
— Joel Jackson (@jjjacks17) July 1, 2020
There are those of course who want to promote opposition, over unity.
Can the .@ProjectLincoln sponsor Bubba Wallace? https://t.co/t4IVpRgO42
— Jake Pearson (@JakeLX) July 2, 2020
Now that is funny on many levels. The Lincoln Project would never spend that kind of money on any except its own membership.
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