Slayer Removed as NASCAR Racecar Sponsor ‘Due to Reactionary Concerns’ (Rolling Stone)

Slayer Removed as NASCAR Racecar Sponsor ‘Due to Reactionary Concerns’ – By Daniel Kreps (Rolling Stone) / Aug 17 2019

“After nearly 40 years, Slayer apparently remains as terrifying to some as ever,” heavy metal legends say after car’s owner pulls sponsorship

Slayer’s plans to display their logo on a NASCAR racecar during a race this weekend was called off by the car’s owner “due to reactionary concerns,” the heavy metal band announced Friday.

On August 9th, NASCAR driver JJ Yeley, who drives the #54 Chevrolet owned by Rick Ware Racing, revealed on Twitter that Slayer would sponsor the racecar for Saturday night’s race at the Bristol Motor Speedway; the sponsorship – which called for the Slayer logo as well as “November 2019 Nuclear Blast” to be brandished on the car’s hood – was to promote the upcoming leg of Slayer’s farewell tour.

https://twitter.com/jjyeley1/status/1159843696201781248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1159843696201781248&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com%2Fmusic%2Fmusic-news%2Fslayer-nascar-sponsorship-reactionary-concerns-873026%2F

Yeley also asked fans to vote on what Slayer track should be his intro song at the race, with “Raining Blood” winning the Twitter poll

“NASCAR racing and Slayer have a lot in common” guitarist Kerry King said earlier this week. “Both are extremely fast, intense and aggressive. I can think of nothing more rad than seeing the Slayer logo on Rick’s car with JJ behind the wheel. I’m sure Disciples of everyone involved will be completely stoked on the bond between these two fierce entities.”

However, just one day before the race, the band revealed that their sponsorship had been dropped at the last minute.

“Today, reportedly due to reactionary concerns from other long-time participating sponsors, Slayer has been pulled as the primary sponsor,” the band said in a statement Friday. “After nearly 40 years, Slayer apparently remains as terrifying to some as ever.”

ESPN reports that both Rick Ware Racing and the car’s other sponsors felt Slayer didn’t align with its image and beliefs; PODS has already replaced Slayer as the #54 car’s primary sponsor at tonight’s race.

“As a team owner, we thought it would be best to forgo the partnership,” Ware said in a statement. “RWR wishes nothing but the best to Slayer and their fans and wishes the band a successful Final World Tour.”

Although Slayer and Rick Ware Racing had an agreement in place, “there were no contracts or monetary transactions between either parties.”