NASCAR‘s automotive partner, Toyota, has announced that it will stop sponsoring LGBTQ events after coming under attack from an anti-DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) activist on social media, for its “woke” initiatives.
Toyota has long played a strong role in NASCAR, most recently supplying cars to Legacy Motor Club, a Cup Series team co-owned by seven-time champion and Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson, as well as other major teams like 23XI Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing.
The Japanese manufacturer entered the sport in 2000 with the V6-Celica Goody’s Dash program, though it only lasted a few years. Seven years later, it made its NASCAR Nextel Cup Series debut in 2007 with eight drivers but finished the season winless. However, Toyota bounced back in 2008, securing 10 victories.
According to a Bloomberg report, Toyota is reassessing its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and plans to discontinue sponsorship of LGBTQ events. In a memo sent to its 50,000 …