Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather is stepping into a new area with a little less punch and a lot more speed. The Boxing Hall of Famer announced Tuesday that his NASCAR team will make its competitive debut during the 2022 season.
Mayweather’s team, called The Money Team Racing (TMTR), will partner with polarized sunglasses company Pit Viper and will attempt to qualify for this year’s Daytona 500. Kaz Grala, who raced in three Cup Series events at superspeedways last season for Kaulig Racing, will be the driver of TMTR’s No. 50 Chevrolet.
Without a charter, which guarantees entry for races, including the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, Grala will attempt to qualify for the 40-car final field. Tony Eury Jr., a former Cup crew chief for renowned drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1999-04) and Paul Menard (2006-07), will be Grala’s crew chief.
“I love fast cars and I love to compete,” Mayweather said in a team release. “I know NASCAR will not be easy, but anything easy isn’t worth doing to me. With that being said, this move into auto racing seems to be a perfect fit for the Mayweather brand.”
William Auchmoody, an associate of Mayweather’s and a former NASCAR team manager, co-owns the team and will serve as general manager. StarCom Racing’s Michael and Matt Kohler, as well as Bill Woehlemann, also have a vested interest in the team, according to the release.
“This deal has been a long time coming and we are finally at the starting line.” Auchmoody said in a statement. “Every time we thought we would be able to hit the track, something happened, including a global pandemic.”
“One thing I have learned from Floyd Mayweather is that sometimes your best offense is a great defense and now we are here going to our first race at this year’s Daytona 500,” Auchmoody continued. “We are very excited to be racing!”
Mayweather is the latest sports icon to enter NASCAR team ownership, joining NBA legend Michael Jordan and former NBA player Brad Daugherty in the Cup Series. NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith announced last year that he was forming a full-time Xfinity Series team for the 2022 season.
Mayweather has won 15 world titles in five different weight classes, and three U.S. Golden Gloves titles in three different weight classes. He’s also an Olympic medalist, winning bronze in the featherweight division at the 1996 Games.
