Popular NASCAR driver Landon Cassill will soon become the first auto racing driver to receive his salary in cryptocurrency via a new partnership with crypto brokerage firm Voyager Digital Ltd.
First Auto Racer To Receive Crypto Salary
In an official announcement today, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR), an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company best known for stock car racing, revealed that Cassill will be paid fully in cryptocurrencies, especially Litecoin (LTC) and the Voyager Token (VGX).
The partnership deal will see Cassil drive a purple No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro customized with a full Voyager-branded car wrap in 19 NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season across 16 states. The first race is due to start this Saturday at the Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway.
A Crypto Proponent
Cassil admitted, via a telephone interview, that he had been a long-term crypto user and had only been searching for the right agency to partner with. He noted that many of his fans of late are crypto users, and the crypto industry has been seeing a lot of mainstream attention from retail investors.
“I’m a crypto user, and I’ve been involved for several years. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but it was about finding the right partner to do it. A lot of my fans are crypto users, and as of late, there’s been a lot of mainstream, retail attention on it. So from a community perspective and an athlete speaking for a space, timing was perfect this summer,” Cassil said.
The NASCAR driver had allegedly met Steve Ehrlich, Voyager’s CEO, at a Litecoin summit two years ago, and they instantly hit it off due to a shared interest in cryptocurrency.
Speaking on the partnership, Ehrlich said:
“Landon Cassill’s focus and determination on the race track translates across everything he does, which is why we’re honored to partner with him in this season’s Xfinity Series. Landon also shares our vision of widespread crypto adoption, and we’re proud to be the first company to secure a primary NASCAR sponsorship completely with crypto…I think it’s really important that the people you do business with have a crypto understanding.”
Crypto Salaries
Litecoin founder Charlie Lee, who also admitted that Cassil has been a strong supporter of Litecoin and the crypto industry for several years, believes that the “landmark deal shows the growing reach of the Litecoin community into the professional sports world and eventually beyond.”
While Cassil will be the first auto racing driver to receive crypto payments, cryptocurrencies for salaries in the sports industry are not entirely new. In April, CryptoPotato reported that employees and players of the NBA giant, the Sacramento Kings, would be able to receive a significant part of their salary in Bitcoin.
Featured image courtesy of The Podium FInisi