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NASCAR Stars Share Their Thoughts on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce
The princess of pop’s relationship to the Kansas City Chiefs' eight-time Pro Bowler has made one former Cup Series racer a believer.
Even in the proverbial vast darkness of infinite space, somehow, some way, Taylor Swift would shine brightly. Almost universally loved in the… well, universe, if anyone’s qualified to represent earthlings to superior beings, seems like you couldn’t go wrong with the pop culture icon as a cosmic ambassador.
Whether it’s wearing a jacket, liking a post or dating one of the NFL’s best tight ends in Travis Kelce, whatever she puts her stamp of approval on, seems to get a hefty boost. Her attendance to the Chiefs – Jets game with real-life bff Blake Lively and her multi-hyphenate superstar husband Ryan Reynolds brought in an average of 27 million viewers on NBC and digital platforms, reports Deadline, increasing female viewership by 53% to become the most-watched NFL game since Super Bowl LVII. Running the gamut of young to old, there’s a reason why the 33-year-old generational talent has legions of adoring fans who proudly bear the moniker of “Swiftie,” a term former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace is apparently happy to accept.
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Reflecting on the massive impact that has resulted from Swift’s relationship to Kelce, Wallace explained why he's fully on board with it.
“It’s fun, it’s good,” Wallace stated on his podcast. “I guess I could be a grumpy old man and be like, ‘Damn it. I’m tired of all this Taylor Swift stuff.’ But I can’t. You know why? Because it’s making everybody so happy.”
“As long as something makes everybody happy in a messed-up world right now,” he continued. “Things aren’t too great right now everywhere in everybody’s life. If it takes a girl who sings good music, and she fell in love with a football player, it don’t bother me. Hell, actually, maybe I’m a Swiftie.”
Though she’s sold gazillions of albums to the far stretches of the globe, Swift has deep roots in country music, working with mega stars like, among others, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Faith Hill. While her career still developing, her early experience in that genre ingratiated her with NASCAR fans who listened to similar artists and resonated with Swift’s down-to-earth, relatable lyrics. When it comes to drivers, Wallace isn’t the only wheelman from NASCAR’s top flight who’s dishing on the singer-songwriter who’s taken pop culture by storm.
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As NASCAR’s Golden Boy, it’s Chase Elliott’s ordained duty to weigh on all things prevailing in the social media zeitgeist, so naturally the Hendrick Motorsports driver and 2020 Cup Series champion appeared in an HMS company video where he Googled his name, and one of the queries was ‘Is Chase Elliott a Swiftie?’
“You know, I am not really sure that I would consider myself a Swiftie, but I feel like I should get on the bandwagon,” said the 27-year-old native of Dawsonville, Georgia in the light-hearted promotional video.
While the five-time NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver knows a thing or two about creating an iconic yet approachable personal brand, like Wallace and probably countless of others under the umbrella of professional stock car racing, Elliott smartly recognized the unparalleled appeal of Swift.
“I mean it looks like a lot of fun, and who doesn’t like Taylor Swift?” added Elliott. “So, I’m on board. Just hadn’t got out to a show yet.”
After Elliott’s snowboarding mishap sidelined him for several weeks from Cup competition, steering him into a rather pedestrian and disappointing season, NASCAR would undoubtedly exchange Colorado’s steep slopes for any amount of Trouble at one of Swift’s signature, sell-out shows.
