AUTO RACING NFL star Kamara becomes NASCAR team sponsor

Alvin Kama ra, NFL star and new NASCAR fan, has put some of his own money into the sport as a team sponsor this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

The New Orleans Saints running back agreed to sponsor Ryan Vargas in theXfi ni ty Series race Saturday at Daytona. Vargas had no funding for the road course race but now will be sponsored by The Big Squeezy, the Louisiana juice bar chain owned by Kamara.

The deal was initially brokered over Twitter, where Kamara posted frequently last weekend from the Daytona 500. Kamara learned from NASCAR President Steve Phelps of the different avenues for participation a nd tweeted his surprise at the many options.

Var gas, meanwhile, had crowd- sourced f or funding for Saturday' s race and that tweet was flagged to Kama ra. He replied to Vargas, who put the football player in touch with his team, and a deal was negotiated as Kamara drove home from the Daytona 500. It took roughly 36 hours for Big Squeezy to become a NASCAR sponsor. DAYTONA 500: Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell was rewarded Friday with a sponsorship increase from CarParts.com. The online parts sales company was already part of McDowell's program at Front Row Motorsports but was still working on its 2021 budget when the NASCAR season began Sunday with the Daytona 500. McDowell earned his first victory in 358 Cup races by overcoming 100-1 odds in winning NASCAR's biggest race. CarParts.com will be McDowell's primary sponsor on the No. 34 Ford at Watkins Glen, Indianapolis, at McDowell's return to Daytona in August and finally at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September.