NASCAR advisor pleads not guilty to battery charges

NASCAR Growth and Engagement Advisor Alvin Kamara has pleaded not guilty to battery charges stemming from 2022 incident in Las Vegas.

Back in February 2022, NASCAR Growth and Engagement Advisor and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara was among four men arrested for allegedly beating and stomping on a man named Darnell Green Jr. while he was on the floor unconscious outside of a nightclub in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Video of the alleged incident was publicized a few months ago, and a new video of the moments after the incident was released earlier this week, in which Kamara can be heard saying, “I connected with that [expletive] jaw so hard.”

Kamara, whose lawyers had claimed that he was acting in self-defense, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit battery and substantial bodily harm charges during a court appearance in Clark County, Nevada on Thursday. The other three men indicted, Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chris Lammons, Darrin Young, and Percy Harris, also pleaded not guilty.

Following Kamara’s plea, his lawyers put out a statement, saying that they “are looking forward to trial and a full vindication.” The trial date is currently scheduled for Monday, July 31.

Alvin Kamara, NASCAR Growth and Engagement Advisor

Kamara’s involvement in NASCAR dates back to 2020, when he became interested in the sport thanks to longtime friend and 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace.

In 2021, his Louisiana-based juice and smoothie chain, The Big Squeezy, sponsored a car in an Xfinity Series race, and he was later named the sport’s first ever official Growth and Engagement Advisor — “Chief Engagement Officer”, as he likes to call it.

NASCAR has not commented about anything to do with this situation, though that is not a huge surprise. Because the hearing for the case was continued multiple times throughout 2022, not even the NFL or the Saints have punished Kamara in any way.

The 27-year-old Atlanta, Georgia native played in 15 of 17 games on the Saints’ 2022 schedule. A potential suspension could still be on the table for the 2023 season, which is scheduled to begin September, depending on what happens next on the legal side.