New Orleans Saints Alvin Kamara announced that he has joined NASCAR as a “growth and engagement advisor.”
Kamara will work directly with NASCAR leadership on strategic planning and creative opportunities that support its fan development efforts in his new role. Kamara’s primary focus will be on helping to grow NASCAR’s fan base.
The NFL star has been collaborating with the racing league for some months. Back in February, The Big Squeezy— a juice bar co-owned by Kamara—partnered with JD Motorsports to sponsor Gary Keller’s No. 6 car driven by Ryan Vargas after they were left without a primary partner for the second race of the season at the Daytona Road Course.
“We’ve been hitting it on the head: It’s about diversity,” Kamara said at the time. “Just opening the gates to welcome in new fans and new people that may have had interest but didn’t feel comfortable or people that don’t even understand the sport and may be indifferent about it but willing to give it a chance. I think there’s a whole new set of possibilities that can come with what’s going on right now.”
Last year, NASCAR found itself at the center of controversy after a noose was discovered in the Talladega Superspeedway garage stall assigned to Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr., the series’ sole Black driver.
Kamara, who a NASCAR fan last season, has been steadily working to help create a more diverse environment.
“Alvin’s journey to NASCAR happened very organically from that initial curiosity to experiencing our events to developing a real and sincere passion for the sport,” Pete Jung, chief marketing officer at NASCAR, said in a statement. “That’s what we’re looking to tap into … his insights, perspective and ideas … and learning more about his experience so that we can enhance what we’re doing to engage and develop new fans.”
Originally posted 2021-06-22 11:00:00.
