Revving Up Atlanta’s South Africa Partnership Through NASCAR
Editor’s note: When the yellow Brand South Africa car driven by Kyle Weatherman rounded the bend to see a checkered flag at Atlanta Motor Speedway last September, it was mission accomplished for Arnout Kok. Mr. Kok, a racecar driver turned volunteer national booster, had for the first time succeeded in decking out a full car […]
Editor’s note: When the yellow Brand South Africa car driven by Kyle Weatherman rounded the bend to see a checkered flag at Atlanta Motor Speedway last September, it was mission accomplished for Arnout Kok.
Mr. Kok, a racecar driver turnedvolunteernational booster, had for the first time succeeded in decking out a full car in the Rainbow Nation’s flag, colors and brands.
Arnout Kok, left, pictured with NASCAR driver Kyle Weatherman, center.
South Africa had been promoted on the circuit 30 times before, but only as an add-on to another car; at the Xfinity Series, Mr. Kok and Brand South Africa were launching a dedicated car and a concerted five-year plan to showcase the charms of his native land to millions of Americans.
Coming in 11th, the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro was a South African patriot’s dream, featuring a flag theme and festooned with product logos, yes, but also those of professional services firms that are stepping on the gas in their pursuit of markets in Atlanta and beyond.
This June, Mr. Kok is again bringing the South African car to Atlanta for the Quaker State 400. We caught up with him to learn why the country has chosen racing to rev up its trade and tourism partnerships with the U.S. – and how Atlanta brands with a connection to the country can take advantage.
Global Atlanta: As a stock car driver yourself and a South Africa native, would you call this a passion project? If so, how did the idea come about, and what drives you in this endeavor? Give us a bit of the back story.
Arnout Kok: I have been racing since I was 16 years old, initially in South Africa (where I was born and grew up) before heading to the United Kingdom. I have raced cars across the world, and following a chance meeting in the U.S., I was introduced to the world of NASCAR.
We have run over 30 activations in NASCAR, including two at the world-famous Daytona 500. This is definitely a passion project, I run it in my spare time whilst holding down a full-time job!
Why does NASCAR make sense as a link for the South Africa country brand; why did Atlanta make sense as the debut?
Mr. Kok: NASCAR is the most popular form of motorsport in North America, and despite this, it is somewhat affordable compared to Formula 1 and IndyCar. Given the television viewership, plus the size of the NASCAR vehicle, it’s a great platform from which to promote various brands to a large audience.
Over the years we have run activations in Las Vegas, Florida, New York, Indianapolis, etc., and it was only 2024 that we ran our first activation in Atlanta. It came about via discussions with the South African Chamber of Commerce and a desire to run the activation in a city where a number of South African brands have a base.
What are some of the companies with a presence here that you have been able to promote?
Mr. Kok: Over the years we have partnered with a number of great South African brands including Veldskoen, Ceres Fruit Juice, Superformance (manufacturer of high-performance sports cars) and Switch energy drink.
How important has the Atlanta Phambili initiative been to putting the city on the map for you and other South Africans? Did it help at all when you were seeking to make inroads?
Atlanta Phambili highlighted the collaboration between the city and South Africa, making Atlanta an obvious choice. It certainly helped in 2024, as a number of our partners were extremely positive about promoting their brand in Atlanta. Over and above promoting trade and investment between the city of Atlanta and South Africa, the initiative also promotes people-to-people as well as cultural exchanges, which is key in building lasting relations between the two markets.
South Africa is known as the Rainbow Nation, a country that finds unity in diversity. Why is that so important to celebrate, especially now, and how will that be reflected in your car?
It is quite important to continue to celebrate the unity and diversity of this young democratic nation; it is what makes the country unique. As South Africa matures, it is crucial to remind its citizens and the world what the country stands for.
Promoting and collaborating with South African brands through NASCAR is one way to showcase unity and diversity whilst we also work hard to support these brands to help grow their distribution globally. The more South African products sold internationally, the more jobs are created back in South Africa. The car is branded in the South African flag colours and we also promote South African charities. Last year we promoted the Black Coffee Foundation and International Rhino Foundation on the car.
We’re experiencing a bumpy track in the U.S.-South Africa bilateral relationship right now, with trade ties strained and geopolitics casting a pall over our usually friendly engagement. How do you envision the South Africa car helping fuel closer people-to-people ties?
Despite the strained geopolitical situation, it is important to continue promoting South Africa and South African businesses in the U.S. South Africans are known to be hard working and determined, so whilst the current situation is challenging, these brands will continue to sell their products in the United States.
When reaching out to both existing and new partners in South Africa, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and there is optimism that things will improve in the future. It is also important to note that we have a sizeable number of U.S. companies who have been operating in South Africa for decades, and these companies have grown and seen a return on their investment in the country and they continue to invest, whilst we have seen a number of South African companies also investing in the U.S This to us means we need to continue nurturing business relations and keep on encouraging people-to-people exchanges despite the “strained” geopolitical situation.
Former NFL star has vital role in NASCAR after injury forced retirement – Motorsport – Sports
Former Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Marshall McFadden had a three-year career in the NFL as a special teams ace, before retiring and moving into motorsports – now working with Trackhouse Racing with Ross Chastain’s team. A standout from South Carolina State, McFadden defied the odds to make to it […]
Former Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Marshall McFadden had a three-year career in the NFL as a special teams ace, before retiring and moving into motorsports – now working with Trackhouse Racing with Ross Chastain’s team.
A standout from South Carolina State, McFadden defied the odds to make to it to the NFL, playing for three teams before retiring early due to injuries.
After his football career was over, McFadden found a love for motorsports while wanting to get back into competitive action – eventually finding his way into a role in NASCAR.
McFadden is now a few years into his role as a jackman, playing a vital role for Chastain’s team in lifting the car during a pit stop, allowing for necessary changes to be made to his No. 1 Chevrolet ZL1 vehicle.
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Somewhat of a thankless role in NASCAR, McFadden was praised for his work at the Coca-Cola 600, where Chastain’s team were the quickest in the pit as he went on to win the race – his first win in the Cup Series since 2023.
Chastain’s crew consists of five members, a tire carrier, two tire changers, a fuler and a jackman (McFadden).
As well as working with Chastain, McFadden has also been in the pit crew for Shane von Gisbergen and Daniel Suarez – both who race for Trackhouse Racing.
Speaking on his transition from the NFL to NASCAR, McFadden had told the Winston-Salem Journal: “Being in the NFL you have to be the ultimate professional. You have to be ready to wake up and compete every day.
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“After being in the NFL and college football, it gave me the perfect ingredients to cross over to NASCAR. Here, that same professionalism and athleticism applies.
“The understanding of how things are done are similar, and that’s how I was able to work my way up to being a jackman.”
Kevin Harvick’s Team Reveals Eye-Opening Hendrick Motorsports Stat Ahead of Special Michigan Weekend
As the NASCAR circus rolls into the wide, high-speed expanse of Michigan International Speedway, the battle for Cup Series supremacy takes center stage, pitting two automotive giants, Chevrolet and Ford, against one another in their own backyard. In the lead-up to Sunday’s 400-mile showdown, Kevin Harvick and his FOX Sports “Happy Hour” crew have spotlighted […]
As the NASCAR circus rolls into the wide, high-speed expanse of Michigan International Speedway, the battle for Cup Series supremacy takes center stage, pitting two automotive giants, Chevrolet and Ford, against one another in their own backyard.
In the lead-up to Sunday’s 400-mile showdown, Kevin Harvick and his FOX Sports “Happy Hour” crew have spotlighted a striking statistic that reveals Ford’s recent dominance at Michigan, raising eyebrows and putting added pressure on Chevy powerhouses like Hendrick Motorsports.
Kevin Harvick’s FOX Crew Uncovers Ford Dominance As Chevrolet Looks To Strike Back
The world’s largest automobile manufacturer, Toyota, may have entered NASCAR in 2007, but the spotlight has consistently remained on the storied rivalry between American powerhouses Ford and Chevrolet.
Now, with the NASCAR bandwagon rolling into MIS, set in the heart of America’s auto industry, Mamba Smith was quick to point out a potential vulnerability in HMS.
He asked, “Do you know the last time a Hendrick car went to victory lane at Michigan?” To which, Harvick answered, “Probably been a while.”
Following this, the co-host noted that HMS’s last win at the 2-mile facility came way back in 2014, when four-time champion Jeff Gordon won the Pure Michigan 400 in his No. 24 HMS Chevy. Meanwhile, Chevy’s last one came when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in 2016, plotting the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevy into the victory lane.
He was followed by the 2014 Cup Series champion, Harvick, who at that time piloted the No. 4 SHR Chevy. In fact, back then, four of the top-5 cars were Chevrolets with Team Penske ace Joey Logano being the only exception.
But times have changed, and Ford now has its chokehold on the facility, as Ford-backed drivers have won all the Cup Series events at Michigan from 2018 until Tyler Reddick broke the streak last year. Out of which, Harvick won five races.
The former SHR veteran then revealed what he believes is the key to Ford’s success at MIS. He said, “I think they had a lot of power. Doug Yates and his team put a lot of emphasis on going to Michigan. I think that was part of the RFK, Rousch, but I think that the other piece was, they also made a lot of downforce.”
Harvick continued, “I think with this car, the Ford seems to have a little bit of less drag, it’s a little bit tightly balanced than the other cars, and the powerband of the Ford with where you run the rpm, fits the Ford engine very well. It’s like they designed everything around Michigan.”
More: Kevin Harvick Reveals How CARS Tour Racing Rekindled Connection With His Lifelong Fans
As the green flag nears at Michigan, all eyes will be on whether Chevrolet – especially Hendrick Motorsports – can break Ford’s stronghold on their home turf. With history, horsepower, and pride on the line, Sunday’s showdown is shaping up to be a worthy battle.
Michigan International Speedway is scheduled to host its annual NASCAR Cup Series race, the FireKeepers Casino 400, in early June this year, as opposed to mid-August like it has in past years. Michigan did formerly host a June race before it lost its second race date after 2020. Sunday’s race is scheduled to be a […]
Michigan International Speedway is scheduled to host its annual NASCAR Cup Series race, the FireKeepers Casino 400, in early June this year, as opposed to mid-August like it has in past years. Michigan did formerly host a June race before it lost its second race date after 2020.
Sunday’s race is scheduled to be a 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.0-mile (3.219-kilometer) Brooklyn, Michigan oval, and the starting lineup is determined using the regular qualifying format used for non-superspeedway and non-short track ovals.
Qualifying is much more straightforward this year than it has been in past years. Last year, there were qualifying groups and row-by-row lane designation, and there was a second round shootout for the pole position. Additionally, the qualifying order was determined by a four-variable metric used since 2020.
This year, each driver simply makes one single-lap qualifying attempt, and those speeds determine the full 36-driver starting lineup. There are no qualifying groups, no row-by-row lane designations, and no second round shootout. There is also a new qualifying metric which features only two variables.
A full breakdown of the new formula can be found here.
Follow along with our FireKeepers Casino 400 qualifying updates from Michigan.
NASCAR at Michigan: Full starting lineup
1st – Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2nd – Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
3rd – Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
4th – William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
5th – Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6th – Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
7th – Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
8th – Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
9th – Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
10th – Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
11th – Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
12th – Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
13th – Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
14th – Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
15th – Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
16th – Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
17th – Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
18th – Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
19th – A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
20th – Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
21st – John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
22nd – Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
23rd – Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
24th – Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
25th – Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
26th – Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
27th – Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
28th – Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
29th – Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
30th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
31st – Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
32nd – Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
33rd – Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
34th – Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
35th – Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
36th – Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Amazon Prime Video is set to provide live coverage of the FireKeepers Casino 400 from Michigan International Speedway beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, June 8.
Carson Hocevar living the dream back home in Michigan as aggressive, headline-grabbing NASCAR driver – News-Herald
By LARRY LAGE BROOKLYN, Mich. — Carson Hocevar grew up 80 miles west of Michigan International Speedway, where he attended his first race at the age of 5. As a kid in Portage, he dreamed of becoming a NASCAR driver that people talked about. The 22-year-old Hocevar got his wish. He knocked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. out of […]
By LARRY LAGE BROOKLYN, Mich. — Carson Hocevar grew up 80 miles west of Michigan International Speedway, where he attended his first race at the age of 5. As a kid in Portage, he dreamed of becoming a NASCAR driver that people talked about. The 22-year-old Hocevar got his wish. He knocked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. out of […]
Hamlin undeterred by ruling siding with NASCAR in lawsuit filed by Jordan-owned 23XI and Front Row | National News
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Denny Hamlin is unfazed that a three-judge federal appellate panel vacated an injunction that required NASCAR to recognize 23XI, which he owns with Michael Jordan, and Front Row as chartered teams as part of an antitrust lawsuit. “That’s just such a small part of the entire litigation,” Hamlin said Saturday, a […]
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Denny Hamlin is unfazed that a three-judge federal appellate panel vacated an injunction that required NASCAR to recognize 23XI, which he owns with Michael Jordan, and Front Row as chartered teams as part of an antitrust lawsuit.
“That’s just such a small part of the entire litigation,” Hamlin said Saturday, a day ahead of the FireKeepers Casino 400. “I’m not deterred at all. We’re in good shape.”
Hamlin said Jordan feels the same way.
“He just remains very confident, just like I do,” Hamiln said.
NASCAR has not commented on the latest ruling.
23XI and Front Row sued NASCAR late last year after refusing to sign new agreements on charter renewals. They asked for a temporary injunction that would recognize them as chartered teams for this season, but the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, on Thursday ruled in NASCAR’s favor.
“We’re looking at all options right now,” Hamlin said.
The teams, each winless this year, said they needed the injunction because the current charter agreement prohibits them from suing NASCAR. 23XI also argued it would be harmed because Tyler Reddick’s contract would have made him a free agent if the team could not guarantee him a charter-protected car.
Hamlin insisted he’s not worried about losing drivers because of the uncertainty.
“I’m not focused on that particularly right this second,” he said.
Reddick, who was last year’s regular-season champion and competed for the Cup title in November, enters the race Sunday at Michigan ranked sixth in the Cup Series standings.
The charter system is similar to franchises in other sports, but the charters are revocable by NASCAR and have expiration dates.
The six teams may have to compete as “open” cars and would have to qualify on speed each week to make the race and would receive a fraction of the money.
Without a charter, Hamlin said it would cost the teams “tens of millions,” to run three cars.
“We’re committed to run this season open if we have to,” he said. “We’re going to race and fulfill all of our commitments no matter what. We’re here to race. Our team is going to be here for the long haul and we’re confident of that.”
The antitrust case isn’t scheduled to be heard until December.
NASCAR has not said what it would do with the six charters held by the two organizations if they are returned to the sanctioning body. There are 36 chartered cars for a 40-car field.
“We feel like facts were on our side,” Hamlin said. “I think if you listen to the judges, even they mentioned that we might be in pretty good shape.”
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