When you’re driving a race car at nearly 200 mph and battling some of the best drivers in the world, a few verbal slips are bound to happen. Blame the adrenaline, or whatever. It’s a common sight in racing series around the world, including NASCAR, which has come up with a rather interesting way to keep track of all that fruity language.
The sanctioning body introduced the Swear Jar ahead of the Southern 500 to add some extra excitement for fans tuning into the Chase. And Ryan Blaney has quickly found himself chasing another crown other than the Cup Series championship.
Blaney, who has become the face of this swear jar initiative, spoke with Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone of SiriusXM earlier today. He said he’s ready to make NASCAR’s pockets a little lighter by the time the Chase ends in November.
“There’s 223 donations at Darlington. And someone put my picture on it, and rightfully so. I’m probably more known for the creative language that I choose to say on the radio,” said Blaney on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “But I probably contributed maybe ten, 15 of that 223. But I’ll combine, you know, it wasn’t it wasn’t that bad. But hey, I want that pot to get as big as possible. I want someone to walk home with.”
It wasn’t just Blaney making big contributions. Pistone pointed out that RFK Racing owner-driver Brad Keselowski may have played a major role in pushing up the numbers.
Keselowski was spun around by Carson Hocevar on lap 108, and the No. 6 Ford driver’s radio was filled with colorful language afterward. Those heated moments, close calls, and high-pressure situations are exactly what NASCAR hoped to capture with the Swear Jar, adding another layer of entertainment for fans throughout the Chase.
“We were looking for buzzworthy ideas that would build excitement around The Chase and complement the other initiatives launching during this part of the season,” Jess Smith, NASCAR’s VP of content, had said, according to journalist Joseph Srigley.
Blaney tried to explain how he thinks the Swear Jar works, suggesting that someone’s job is probably to sit and listen to driver radios and tally up every swear word. But who’s funding it? The No. 12 driver had a pretty good idea: NASCAR.
And he was right. NASCAR is putting up $5 for every swear word a driver uses during the Chase races. The official count from Darlington was 223, bringing the Swear Jar total to $1,115 with nine races still to go. No wonder why Blaney said, “I want that pot to get as big as possible.”
NASCAR has also turned the Swear Jar into a fan contest. Fans can listen to the live scanner audio and make predictions based on what drivers say during the race. The contest covers every driver on the track, not just those in the Chase.
To take part, fans have to guess how many swear words will be used during a race weekend and which one will be used the most. One winner will be picked for each of the first postseason races, with those winners moving on to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
At Homestead, the finalists will get a chance to win the grand prize by correctly predicting the final swear-word count. NASCAR created the Swear Jar with creative agency 72andSunny Los Angeles, which helped bring the idea to life.
“While other leagues fine for swearing, NASCAR knows it’s an authentic part of their sport,” said Zach Hilder, chief creative officer at 72andSunny Los Angeles. “This work represents the rebel spirit that’s so core to the NASCAR brand.”
So one fan will walk away with the swear jar, and Ryan Blaney is doing his best to ensure that whoever walks away with the full pot at the end of the Chase is in for a handsome payday.