The Hickory Crawdads, Single-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers in the Carolina League, introduced an alternate identity just moments ago that pays tribute one of the area’s earliest industries, as well as one of its popular contemporary pastimes. The Hickory Goat-Karts brand is an homage to both auto racing and North Carolina’s historic connection to wagon making.
The Goat-Karts identity, created by Dan Simon of the Louisville-based firm Studio Simon, plays on Hickory’s roots in the racing industry. The city lays claim to the title, “Birthplace of NASCAR stars,” a reference to the Hickory Motor Speedway, which opened in 1951 as a half-mile dirt track, and which saw the likes of Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, and Ralph Earnhardt become champions.
Historically, the area was home to the Piedmont Wagon Company, central to the city’s growth in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The company made more than 1,000 wagons per month, known for their dark green bodies, red wheels, and yellow trim—colors reflected in the new alternate identity.
Per the team, there’s a reason for the new brand to feature a goat: “While the wagons were typically pulled by horses, they had a model designed for children’s recreation that was pulled by goats known as goat carts.”
The Goat-Karts will take to the field for select games in 2025.
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