From an Athlete Brand Breakdown to the Hood of a NASCAR

The story behind driver Austin Varco, an unexpected partnership, and why athlete brands matter

Tewdilly was created to help build sports and athlete brands.

Basketball players. Racquetball leagues. Athletes chasing something bigger than their stat sheet.

So when the Tewdilly logo suddenly ended up on the hood of a NASCAR a few weeks ago… it felt equally unexpected and perfectly aligned.

Because at its core, Tewdilly exists for athletes exactly like NASCAR driver Austin Varco.

How I Met Austin Varco

I first came across Austin several months back while researching athletes who were doing something interesting with their personal brand. His now-agent actually first put Austin on my radar.

What stood out to me wasn’t just his racing clips, or his accolades — though he had plenty of these, too.

Instead, it was Austin’s personality. His authenticity. And his courage.

The deeper I looked into Austin’s story, the more compelling it became.

Austin isn’t just another driver trying to climb the racing ladder. He’s thoughtful about how he represents himself both on the track and off it. He understands that the modern athlete isn’t just a competitor, but also a communicator, a storyteller, and a brand.

Austin was also diagnosed with Autism at age 20. Since, he’s used his platform as a driver to bring more \ awareness to it through his Autism acceptance and advocacy non-profit, Race4Autism.

So, I was compelled to feature him in one of my Athlete Brand Breakdown videos, analyzing how he shows up online and where his brand could grow.

“Kind of to my surprise, [Jared] made this awesome video talking about how I represent myself both on track and off track, and analyzed how I perform on social media. He was able to pinpoint some things I can do better to increase my representation.”
— Austin Varco

📺 Watch the Athlete Brand Breakdown

From there, Austin and I met and talked on a video call, and talked through some of his unique opportunities — and challenges — as a 23-year-old up-and-coming race car driver in San Diego.

A connection was made, and for me, it felt like the beginning of something special. Whatever the outcome, I knew I felt supportive of Austin, and energized by the conversation.

The Call That Led to a NASCAR Hood

Then, a couple of months later, something unexpected happened.

Austin got a last-minute opportunity to race in a NASCAR event at Kern Raceway.

But there was one problem.

He needed a hood sponsor.

When I heard that, there wasn’t much to think about. I was in!

Suddenly, Tewdilly wasn’t just helping athletes behind the scenes.

It was sitting on the front of a his #51 Chevrolet SS stock car, heading onto the racetrack.

“I'm so excited to have had Tewdilly on the hood of my number 51 Chevrolet SS at Kern Raceway [on Feb. 28].”
— Austin Varco

What This Partnership Really Represents

For Austin, having Tewdilly on the car meant something bigger than just a logo.

“I think having the massive Tewdilly on the hood of my race car showcases how Jared wants his athletes to be at the forefront.”
— Austin Varco

That’s exactly right.

Athletes should be the center of their own story.

Not an afterthought.
Not a background character in someone else’s brand.

The athlete is the brand.

And when athletes truly understand who they are — when they get clear about it — everything starts to change.

Content becomes easier.
Partnerships become clearer.
Opportunities become more intentional.

Tewdilly, of course, was built to support athletes in discovering who they are — and then using that clarity to make decisions about their content, about how to build their brand.

Why Austin Varco Is the Kind of Athlete Tewdilly Believes In

There’s a reason this partnership made sense.

Austin is exactly the kind of athlete Tewdilly was built to support.

He's authentic, he's real, he knows who he is, and he knows where he wants to go.

That combination — authenticity plus vision — is rare.

It’s also powerful.

And when athletes combine those traits with intentional storytelling and smart brand decisions, their potential expands far beyond the competition itself.

Austin understands that.

Which is why his future — both as a driver and as a brand — is incredibly exciting.

A Moment I’ll Never Forget

Seeing the Tewdilly logo on the hood of Austin’s car was surreal.

A brand built to help athletes find their voice…

Flying around a racetrack at full speed.

Austin said it best after the race:

“Huge thank you to Jared, Tewdilly, for being on my race car this weekend. I think we really had a positive representation of what you do for athletes.”
— Austin Varco

🎥 Watch the NASCAR highlights here

The Bigger Lesson

This story isn’t really about a NASCAR sponsorship.

It’s about what happens when athletes get clear about who they are.

Clarity changes everything.

It changes how you show up.
It changes how others see you.
It changes the opportunities that come your way.

Austin Varco gets that.

And that’s why supporting his journey felt like an easy decision.

Because the athletes who understand their story are the ones who build the strongest brands.

And sometimes…

Those brands end up going 180 miles per hour around a racetrack.