Having already become one of the faces of Indiana sports this summer, Caitlin Clark will expand that reputation appearing on a NASCAR Cup Series car over the weekend in the prestigious Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The WNBA no. 1 draft pick, and all-time NCAA leading scorer, will appear on the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 car driven by Josh Berry thanks in part to a mutual partnership with Panini America trading cards. The Ford Mustang Dark Horse will depict the ‘Raining 3s’ card on the hood.
“It’s been a fun week for sure,” Berry said on Friday at IMS. “Obviously starting our partnership with Panini has been really cool. They have a huge presence in NASCAR and in sports in general. For them to use the hood of our race car to draw attention to the Caitlin Clark collection that’s out now is really cool. I think it’s been a popular week on social media for our No. 4 car, which is the point of all this and it’s been pretty fun.”
What did he think about the scheme when he finally saw it?
“I think over the last couple of weeks we knew this was kind of coming together and was ironing out all the details,” Berry said. “So it’s just, it’s cool, right? I think that’s the biggest thing about it. It’s a great way to bring everything together and start this partnership with Panini and having her on the car is a great way to start. She has had a tremendous trajectory the last couple of years. So to be able to be a part of that is pretty cool.”
Berry hasn’t had a chance to speak to Clark yet but hopes to do her fanbase proud this weekend.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to have to have Panini and then Caitlin on the car as well,” Berry said. “Just the amount of attention that the car has gotten this week through social media and everything’s been really cool and I’m sure it’ll continue to build through the weekend. Hopefully we can have a good race and make them all proud.”
Berry is one of the best feelgood stories of the modern NASCAR Cup Series.
He spent a decade racing in what amounts to the independent leagues of the sport, driving regional Late Model cars for team owner and friend Dale Earnhardt Jr., until the latter was able to find the funding to get him full-time in NASCAR. Berry immediately proved he belonged at the highest levels, despite breaking in over his 30s and has now established himself as a contender at the top level of NASCAR.
He current drives the No. 4 made famous from NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick from over the past decade.