“It is pathetic”: Veteran NASCAR spotter shares his thoughts on Joe Biden’s recent decision amid California fires

Veteran NASCAR spotter Brett Griffin expressed his displeasure on social media as Joe Biden reportedly announced a financial aid of $500m for Ukraine amid California wildfires. He said it was "pathetic" for the 82-year-old to make that decision when people were suffering in the country.

The state of California is suffering from the Greater Los Angeles wildfires which have killed at least 5 people so far. Amidst the difficult time, US President Joe Biden, who is serving his final days of the term, reportedly sent $500 million in aid to Ukraine for weaponry in their war against Russia.

Reacting to this, Brett Griffin, who previously served as a spotter for various NASCAR drivers, gave his take on social media on January 9. He said it was a "pathetic" decision from Biden when the state of California required attention.

"It is pathetic," he wrote on X. "And 500 mil won’t touch this damage when all everyone can do is stand around and watch. We can’t stop a hurricane, tornado or flood but people are just watching this stuff burn to the ground because they don’t have resources."

"Fire chiefs job. Prevent fires. Secondary job: When fires occur put em out."

Additionally, Joe Biden canceled his final trip to Italy as US President to tackle the wildfires.

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Brett Griffin comments on the new NASCAR marketing deal for the drivers

NASCAR announced the implementation of a new marketing deal centered around the drivers for the 2025 Cup Series season. According to this, the sanctioning body will set a $20 million pool specifically for the drivers. Money from this pool will be paid to any of the drivers who will promote the sport in any way.

This is set to be a major change in the current working of the sport. It is also expected to give the new drivers a chance to gain more popularity and financial benefit. NASCAR will also be implementing a major $7.7 billion media rights deal. These investments can be expected to improve the current cash flow for the sanctioning body.

Brett Griffin mentioned the same on his social media. He claimed that sponsors controlled the marketing messages through the drivers in the past years, but with this decision, they will get a better chance at gaining popularity amongst fans.

"When the sport was at its greatest height hundreds of sponsors were controlling the marketing messages. Those Sprint, UPS, Budweiser, Home Depot campaigns were powerful in the marketplace. It’s good to see a multi-million dollar activation plan to get drivers back in front of fans," Griffin wrote.

Brett Griffin served as a spotter in the sport for a long time having worked with various drivers. He announced his departure from the Door, Bumper, Clear podcast towards the end of the 2024 season. While he is expected to return to the sport on a part-time basis this season given his dedication, it is not officially confirmed.