Caitlin Clark’s reaction to seeing herself on NASCAR hood
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Stewart-Haas Racing and Josh Berry have been getting all the attention at the Brickyard 400 this weekend — and it’s all because of Caitlin Clark.
Panini’s sponsorship of the No. 4 Ford put Indiana Fever superstar front and center on the hood.
“It really is a great opportunity to have her on the hood of our race car,” Berry said. “The amount of reach and popularity she’s gained over the last couple years has been really amazing to watch and just how it’s kind of transcended women’s basketball. Obviously, being a girl dad, you don’t necessarily put the two together right now, but as she grows older I’m sure it will be a pretty cool thing to look back on as she continues her career.”
The paint scheme is the talk around the Stewart-Haas Racing garages, as well. SHR teammate and Indiana native Chase Briscoe has been a little green with envy seeing Berry’s car.
“I’m jealous,” Briscoe laughed. “It’s cool. Caitlin has obviously done a ton for just the sport of basketball right? but then especially, Indiana Fever games are sold out every single night now. It’s a cool weekend. To have some type of Indiana sports in the race and having Caitlin on the hood of that car is really cool.”
It’s a special weekend all around for the Indiana Fever player. She’s in Phoenix getting ready for her first WNBA All-Star Game — and now the main feature of another sport she loves. She said she couldn’t believe it when she found out about the design.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! Is this real?!’” Clark said. “I want to drive the car. So, sometime maybe I have to take a spin, but it’s super cool… Hopefully it brings good vibes and we get the W.”
Clark has been a fan of NASCAR for years.
“Honestly, I grew up watching NASCAR. My mom was kind of involved in it. So I was a really big fan growing up. It’s super cool.”
This weekend won’t be the last time Clark and Berry are partnered together. The No. 4 team intends to donate this hood to help raise money for the Matt Alexander Memorial Baseball Scholarship Fund, which honors a 2007 Avon High School graduate and baseball player who was killed in the 2021 FedEx mass shooting.
The hood will be one of the items in the silent auction during August’s Zander’s Memorial Softball Tournament at the RBI Fields in Avon. All proceeds from the tournament and auction go directly to the scholarship fund, which annually awards an Avon baseball senior $1,600 scholarship for furthering his education.
Bidding on all the items, including Berry’s Caitlin Clark car hood is solely online and takes place beginning at 8 a.m. Aug. 14. Live auction items can be found online.