Grindr Announces Sponsorship of Gay NHRA Drag Racer

Queer dating site Grindr yesterday announced its sponsorship of second-generation National Hot Rod Association drag racer Travis Shumake, confirming the driver's earlier Instagram post.

Out.com notes that Shumake's father, Tripp Shumake, was a legendary Funny Car driver in the Seventies and Eighties. Tripp sadly passed in 1999. Travis has not yet reached his father's career highs, but the young driver made his debut in NHRA racing this month. As the sport's first openly gay driver, he also made history in a sport not typically known for diversity. A sponsorship from a big name in the gay community like Grindr is sure to bring a wider audience into the fold.

“As a gay man in America’s oldest conservative Motorsport, authentic representation matters," Shumake said in a statement from Grindr. "At 280 MPH, I’m proud to be turning heads and raising eyebrows with Grindr as a partner.”

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