If you didn’t already think the Internet was truly weird, and totally amazing, the marriage of dogecoin and NASCAR will convince you.
Just over a week ago, Reddit user /u/Reddit_Racing noticed that up-and-coming NASCAR driver Josh Wise was still without a sponsor, and proposed a crowdfunding effort to have dogecoin sponsor Josh’s car.
Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency that functions similarly to bitcoin, but it is based on the popular “Doge” Internet meme. For those unfamiliar with the popular dog, this Tweet exemplifies the typical language that has been associated with the wide-eyed pooch.
So, what on Earth does this have to do with sponsoring a NASCAR driver? The dogecoin community has demonstrated previous fundraising success with efforts that have built clean water wells in Kenya and, more recently, sent the Jamaican Bobsled team to the Sochi Olympics. Once the entire dogecoin community got involved, it was clear this crazy idea could become reality.
As Kevin Dusenberry, organizer of the dogecoin community, said, “Josh is an underdog in the NASCAR world. Dogecoin is an underdog in the crypto world. It was a match made in heaven.”
Dusenberry’s instincts proved to be correct, as the community reached its $55,000 (or 67 million dogecoin) fundraising goal, officially making dogecoin the sponsor of Wise’s No. 98 race car. Wise expressed his enthusiasm and gratitude, saying “I can’t thank the dogecoin and Reddit community enough for the support. To the moon!”
Wise’s dogemobile will debut at the Aarons 499 Sprint Series Cup race on May 4. A potential design for the dogecoin-sponsored car is pictured above, but there’s a still a contest open for those who wish to submit their wow-filled designs.
If all of this sounds a bit crazy to you, Dusenberry won’t argue your point. “I feel like this fundraiser brought dogecoin back to its roots,” said Dusenberry. “We had an idea that was just crazy enough to work.”
Dogespeed, Josh Wise.
