Two-time and defending IndyCar Champion Alex Palou Montalbo signed international shipping giant DHL as his primary sponsor for the 2024 season with Chip Ganassi Racing. In the past DHL has run a rainbow livery for the world-famous Indy 500, as part of its “Delivered With Pride” initiative. The livery has evolved a bit since it was introduced, and this is the finest example yet, and since DHL has moved from Romain Grosjean (who has yet to reach the finish line of an Indy 500) to 2023 Indy 500 polesitter Palou (who has finished in the top ten the last three years) it might actually get some eyeballs!
While it would be easy to shrug this off as another instance of so-called rainbow washing, it seems DHL and CGR’s support for LGBT fans is more than superficial. Previous iterations of the Delivered With Pride livery have come with matching team merchandise with profits going to support the efforts of GLSEN, an educational organization that works to end discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
Not only is that a great initiative to support, and I hope the merch sells out, but the livery itself kicks a lot of ass. The DHL livery already showed a serious improvement when it moved to a Chip Ganassi car this season in its traditional yellow with red sidepods. Replacing the red sidepods with rainbow just adds an extra level of fun and color to the car that will be zipping past at over 230 miles per hour.
It’s great that the series and its sponsors are expanding its reach to more than just the old boy’s club. Motorsport in general isn’t always the most welcoming place if you aren’t a wealthy, white, cis-gendered man, and Indy has a rough history. It’s important that all of our fellow racing fans are given an opportunity to enjoy the sport. It shouldn’t matter who you love or what’s in your pants, as long as you love to watch cool cars going really fucking fast, you’re part of the family.
I, for one, hope the rainbow car wins, because I’m a gasoline ally.