A Colorado-based hemp oil company likely got more than its money's worth after NASCAR ordered a driver to remove its logo from his car last week.
While Veedverks never got exposure on national television, the incident made numerous headlines over the weekend.
On Friday, NASCAR told Carl Long the logo violated its rules governing sponsorship and paint schemes, according to the Associated Press. The team removed the decal before the car went to the track for qualifying at Kansas Speedway.
Long later explained on Facebook that earlier in the week when he emailed NASCAR Veedverks' sponsorship information, he misspelled the company's name which led to a misunderstanding about what the company does. Long says he told a NASCAR representative the company made vape pens, but neglected to tell them it included hemp oil. Veedverks describes itself as a "hemp-derived vape pen company."
When those details came to light during inspections, NASCAR told Long that Veedverks' products did not "meet standards NASCAR has established for teams." Long raced that weekend with a bare hood and finished 31st in a field of 40.
Veedverks isn't giving up on NASCAR. Spokeswoman Emalee Hyde says the company's products are legal in all 50 states under the 2014 Farm Bill which further defined how the hemp industry operates. It plans to work with NASCAR to keep sponsoring Long.
Veedverks CEO Travis Lippert says the company paid $15,000 to get its logo on the hood - a placement spot that normally costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Long's team had made a public push online for sponsors so he could race for the Kansas Cup.
Since the company's decal was removed, multiple news outlets have picked up the story. Lippert says driving teams in other leagues have also reached out about sponsorship opportunities.
NASCAR Senior Director of Racing Communications Kurt Culbert says sponsorships are handled on a case-by-case basis.
