IndyCar disallows political branding on cars at Indy 500

With a presidential election approaching in November, the IndyCar Series has made the decision to distance itself from the contest and disallow political branding on the cars that compete under its sanction at the upcoming Indianapolis 500.

RACER has learned one entry was filed for the May 26 race with the intent of promoting both Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former president Donald Trump on the car’s bodywork. According to the series, the request was denied.

“IndyCar does not approve sponsorships associated with elected officials, candidates for political office or political action committees,” an IndyCar spokesperson told RACER.

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With north of 300,000 fans packing themselves into the giant Indianapolis Motor Speedway facility, the Indy 500 serves as the largest single-day sporting event in the world -- a natural attraction for those seeking to promote presidential candidates through branding on a car at IndyCar’s most watched and most attended race.

Considering the charged and often divisive spirit of politics, the call to leave the run for the White House out of next month’s "Greatest Spectacle In Racing" is a wise one for a series that is not burdened with an excessive number of fans when compared to NASCAR and Formula 1. Rather than risk appeasing half of the crowd and viewing audience and driving away the other half, IndyCar has asked the unnamed team to present its car with more traditional motor racing sponsors for the 108th Indy 500.

In another recent IndyCar-tie-in with Mr. Trump, he was asked to give the command to start engines for March’s $1 Million Challenge at California’s The Thermal Club.

RACER understands the potential appearance by the 45th president was arranged by the leadership of the exclusive Thermal road racing facility, and was part of the broadcast plans until it was nixed for unknown reasons the night before the Sunday race.