Carl Long showed up to the Go Bowling 400 qualifying at Kansas Speedway on Friday with a unique sponsorship decal, one that NASCAR didn’t give the green light to.
Competing in his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup race since 2009, Long attempted to run a car bearing the logo of Veedverks, a Denver-based company that, among other things, sells marijuana products, according to NBC Sports. NASCAR, which must approve all sponsors and paint schemes, ordered Long to remove the decal before he got on the track.
Today is the day! Carl Long will start tonight's #GoBowling400 in 40th. Thanks to everyone for the support! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/UIPK8mT1WO
— MBM Motorsports (@MBMMotorsports) May 13, 2017
The reason the decal was removed, though, is a little hazy.
NASCAR reportedly approved Long’s sponsor, but in a Facebook post on Saturday, Long said the issue came as a result of him misspelling the company’s name.
“I see alot of negative comments about NASCAR !! Why?? It is our fault we cant spell,” Long wrote in the post. “We did no research on company, just happy to get a sponsor. The people running NASCAR have been very positive in allowing us back into cup.
” …Â We submitted a mispelled to Nascar. It would never been allowed. Just leave it to me to create a big stink.”
After attempting to qualify for the All-Star Race in 2009, Long was fined $200,000 because his car’s engine was too big. At the time, it was the largest monetary fine in NASCAR history, according to Yahoo! Sports.
