NASCAR: Another celebrity owner joining the Cup Series?
By Randy Smith
NASCAR is set to see another celebrity-owned team attempt to field a car for the Daytona 500. With influx of celebrity owners, how will the newest one pan out?
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season saw celebrity owners show their hand in the premier level of stock car racing. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin partnered with NBA legend Michael Jordan to form 23XI Racing, hiring Bubba Wallace as the driver of the #23 Toyota.
Trackhouse Racing Team saw a similar pairing, with former driver Justin Marks and Grammy Award-winning artist Pitbull joining forces. The team hired Daniel Suarez to pilot their #99 Chevrolet.
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Both teams saw success in their respective paths to competing with the best of the best in the Cup Series. 23XI Racing scored their first win in historic fashion when Wallace won a rain-shortened race at Talladega Superspeedway in early October.
Trackhouse Racing Team saw success in the business avenue of the sport when they acquired Chip Ganassi Racing, ending a two-decade ownership run in the Cup Series for Chip Ganassi.
Given the success these teams have seen in their short time in the sport, will the latest celebrity-owned entry follow suit?
According to Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern, world-renowned boxer Floyd “Money” Mayweather and his long-rumored team, The Money Team Racing, will attempt to field a car for the 2022 Daytona 500 with Kaz Grala as their driver.
.@TMTRacing50, the long-aspiring NASCAR team affiliated with @FloydMayweather, is working to try to finalize a deal to enter next month's Daytona 500 as its first race, per sources.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) January 19, 2022
➖ The team has secured a car, sponsor and @KazGrala so it appears close to an announcement. pic.twitter.com/rUBVZATaAP
The Money Team Racing have been subjected to rumors to run in the Cup Series for several years now, but nothing has come to fruition. However, 2022 seems to be the year that this will change.
How the team will pan out remains a mystery, as no manufacturer and/or alliance has been reported. And with all 36 charters secured, the team will most likely run an open car and have to qualify their way into the Great American Race.
A young journeyman in Grala will help, as he qualified his way into the “Great American Race” last year with Kaulig Racing and scored a sixth place finish later in the year at Talladega Superspeedway. The former Truck Series winner has shown potential, and with limited drivers left, The Money Team Racing seem to have made the most out of a late entry, if confirmed.
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The first test for Mayweather and company is in line to come when the NASCAR Cup Series drivers compete in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, February 17. Live coverage is set to be provided by Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.