Brandon Brown didn’t expect his name to become the source of a right wing rallying cry, but these are odd times we live in.
Brown, who races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, had achieved a high accomplishment in October — which was one of his biggest milestones. He won an Xfinity Series Playoff race at Talladega, and as he was interviewed by reporter afterwards, spectators could be heard, clear as day, shouting “(Expletive) Joe Biden.”
Either confused or making a good-faith effort not to draw attention to the cries, she remarked to Brown that the crowd was chanting “Let’s Go Brandon.”
More incorrect, she could not be.
Now, from politicians, to commercial pilots to, well, just about anyone that stands on that side of the political aisle, “Let’s Go Brandon” is a chant that makes clear where you stand on the current President of the United States.
Brown had just been caught in the shrapnel of it all. That is, up until he penned an op-ed for Newsweek.
The 28-year-old kind of played things carefully, and admitted that he is not a huge political follower. Here are some of the highlights from his column.
— I turned down more press requests than I imagined someone could ever get—especially someone just starting his NASCAR career. I was afraid of being canceled by my sponsors, or by the media, for being caught up in something that has little to do with me.
— Listen, I buy more gas than most. I don’t like that $4 per gallon has become the norm. I know the cost of everything is rising and I know first-hand that making ends meet can be a struggle for middle-class folks like me.
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.
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.
He wrapped up his column with this:
“To my fans, to NASCAR fans and to everyone who has chanted my name: I dedicate myself this upcoming season to compete hard on the racetrack and to spotlight issues that are important to me and to millions of Americans across the country.”
“Let’s Go America.”
Hopefully Brown is not naïve to the fact that, although he’s addressed it, the “Let’s Go Brandon” thing, ridiculous as it might be, probably isn’t going away anytime soon.
