NASCAR SALUTES
Q&A with Founder and CEO of Black Rifle Coffee Co.
EVAN HAFER
BY DUSTIN ALBINO
W
hile serving overseas in the U.S. Army Spe-
cial Forces and later working with the CIA, Evan Hafer roasted his own coffee. At the time, he had no idea it would lead to the creation of the Black Rifle Coffee Company. Hafer left the CIA and all governmental services in 2014 to form his coffee brand. He focused it on being a subscription-based coffee company for people who enjoy fresh roasted coffee delivered to their home. Hafer eventually met Johnny Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops. Morris was the one who introduced Hafer to motorsports, particularly NASCAR. In 2020, Black Rifle Coffee Company began sponsoring JR Motorsports driver Noah Gragson in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, joining Bass Pro Shops and True Timber Camo. Hafer made his first venture into the Cup Series this year at the Daytona 500, supporting Ty Dillon’s inaugural race with Petty GMS Motorsports. In this interview with NASCAR Pole Position, Hafer discusses his increased involvement in racing and why it fits the Black Rifle Coffee Company brand. Admittedly, he’s having a ton of fun.
22
POLE POSITION 2022
HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO NASCAR? The one and only, the bright and shining star of American outdoor retail, Johnny Morris. Johnny is a really good friend of mine; I love him dearly. I think he’s a national treasure at this point. He’s the one that turned me on to it. He said I would spend a lot of money, have a lot of fun and that you’re going to love racing. HOW HAVE YOU SEEN A RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR BRCC WHEN IT COMES TO RACING? To be fair, it’s hard to measure NASCAR. You can look at the impressions, the number of viewers, but I really don’t look at all of that. We find it fascinating because we like the racers. Ty Dillon is a great guy, so I want to invest in his success and he has a billboard that he needs to drive and we participate in that. When you look at that from an economics and marketing perspective and say, that’s a wonderful billboard. But really, I don’t (care) about the billboard. I care about Ty and Noah and want to see them succeed. Racing is part of America’s fabric, and I think it’s one of those national pastimes. From the beginning of Black Rifle Coffee Company, it has always been my dream to sponsor racing. Does it return an ROI, I’m sure, but I don’t care all that much because I think it’s way more fun to be involved with all of the people that are involved with racing. WHAT DID IT MEAN TO BE TY DILLON’S PRIMARY SPONSOR IN THE DAYTONA 500? It was awesome. I met (Richard Childress), and he’s another giant. He’s a titan of the racing world, but he’s also very generous, kind and an amazing PHOTOGRAPHY: BLACK RIFLE COFFEE COMPANY
