NASCAR Driver’s Daring Trump Support Sparks Backlash as Fans Bash “Politics in Sports”

NASCAR has had a long-standing and cordial relationship with politicians of varying ideologies. Many American Presidents have been avid fans of stock car racing and have visited the tracks during race weekends. Whether it be President Ronald Reagan in 1984 or President George W. Bush when he attended the Daytona 500 races back in 2000 and 04, NASCAR tracks have always been the perfect hosts.

It can’t be denied that NASCAR has always been intertwined with the world of politics, with even the King, Richard Petty, pursuing a career in politics. Others like Dale Earnhardt Jr have been outspoken in their political stances. However, the sport as a whole or the organization has steered clear of outrightly supporting a political figure. It has always taken a middle path and has kept up with its sporting essence. 

But in recent times, things have taken a steep turn owing to certain socio-political scenarios. This has prompted the governing authority to take strict actions and prohibit any political sponsorships. One such example is Tim Viens, who fell under this gambit. But it seems the 46-year-old Truck Series driver is making his comeback at Talladega this year. 

Tim Viens, a staunch Donald Trump supporter, is set to make his return to the Truck Series

The groundwork for banning political sponsorship began back in 2020. However, it was strictly enforced during the 2022 season after the Xfinity racer Brandon Brown was subjected to political slurs such as “Let’s go, Brandon.” The infamous chant has become a coded phrase for cursing President Joe Biden.

NASCAR’s governing body had suggested an outright banning of sponsorships from political organizations, but that would have come as a jolt for smaller teams on the grid as they needed the sponsorship money for the development of their cars. Nevertheless, NASCAR agreed to the fact, that the ban will be implemented on a select few items, such as the cars’ paint scheme.  

Following the same rule, the Craftsman Truck Series driver Tim Viens was not allowed to flaunt his Trump Winery car livery as a part of the crackdown. However, he is set to make a comeback as he made the revelation on his Twitter profile. 

He wrote, “My name is Tim Viens, I am a staunch Trump supporter. I drove the TRUMP 2020 Truck in the NASCAR Truck Series before NASCAR banned political advertising. I will be back with a new sponsor this year @talladega I think you will like it! Follow my journey, God Bless.”

The paint scheme that he had used on his car follows the same pattern as the former President’s jet. He also had Trump paint schemes in the earlier Tuck Series races back in 2020 but since the ban on political paint schemes, it is to be seen what workaround awaits for the G2G Racing team owner.

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NASCAR fans lash out at Tim Viens after the tweet makes rounds on Twitter

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Although the news of Viens’s new sponsor remains a mystery, after coming across Tim Viens’s past sponsorship, several NASCAR fans were critical of the fact. They expressed their displeasure on Reddit, writing, “Guarantee he’s getting paid a grand total of $0 by Trump or his associates to run this scheme, which means he’s spending his own money to look like a jacka** on-track after whining about ‘no politics in sports.’ Dude just needs to go away.” 

“LMFAO! “winery” certainly fits Dump. All he does is whine.”

While several enthusiasts wrote on Twitter, “Keep politics out of NASCAR.”

“Following his journey of not making the race? And if he does, seeing his shitbox barely make it 20 laps before his engine fails? Lol.”

“Politics don’t belong in sports, Tim. I’m quoting you.’

The driver is set to race at the Talladega Superspeedway on September 30th. It is to be seen how the driver fares in the race with his new sponsors. Vien’s best finish was at Dover, on his debut race, where he finished P23. Will the driver get a favorable result with a new sponsor or will he be seen wanting? Let’s wait and watch.

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