Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 10, 1990 TAG: 9006100138
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Randy King
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
First, there was the mid-March proposal by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Louis H. Sullivan to ban tobacco sponsorships of sporting events.
Now comes the National Coalition to Prevent Impaired Driving lobbying to limit motorsports marketing efforts by beer companies.
If both factions get their way, it will be a huge setback for NASCAR. The stock car racing sanctioning body's two major series are fueled by Winston cigarettes and Busch beer.
If RJR-Nabisco is forced to drop its multimillion-dollar sponsorship of the Winston Cup tour, the impact on NASCAR will be enormous. Without R.J. Reynolds' marketing support the past 20 years, the NASCAR circuit wouldn't have nearly the national impact it has today.
And men who are fearless running fender-to-fender at 190 mph are worried.
"We couldn't go on if this happened," said Geoff Bodine, one of many drivers fearing for the future of his sport, on the proposed tobacco ban. "At least some drastic changes would have to be made until somebody else picked up the slack.
"Hey, we're not telling people to smoke or use our tobacco products. I don't like government trying to legislate what people do."
Kyle Petty agrees.
"I think it's ridiculous for the government to step in and try and do something like this," Petty said.
"If the government wants to say you can't advertise cigarettes because they are a drug kids can abuse, are they going to stop advertising Goody's or Tylenol. They're drugs you can abuse, too."
But the anti-smoking force is strong and Congress appears serious about passing a bill to stop tobacco companies' megabucks pipeline to motorsports. It's not just an American phenomenon. Canada, France and Australia are also placing similar limits on tobacco companies.
It's almost inevitable that Winston will be legislated out of NASCAR in the next five years.
So what will life in NASCAR's fast lane be without Winston logos on every car, scoreboard and track wall?
Most certainly, NASCAR officials are aware of the situation and are looking at new options.
If RJR has to pull its Winston sponsorship, word is that it may simply slide one of its non-tobacco holdings in to market stock car racing.
Ready for the Planters Cup? The Baby Ruth Cup?
Or will RJR, which came to NASCAR's open arms when tobacco was banned from television advertising in 1971, simply get out and save the $12 million it coughs up on stock car racing each year?
"I don't think Reynolds needs Winston Cup racing to survive," Petty admitted.
RJR won't be the only company affected by a tobacco ban. Drivers Harry Gant, Terry Labonte, Ricky Rudd and Ken Schrader are all sponsored by tobacco companies.
If tobacco is banned, beer probably will be a close second.
Last month, the National Coalition to Prevent Impaired Driving, a collection of public health and safety organizations, launched a lobbying campaign concerning the alleged dangers in beer makers spending $50 million a year to sponsor motorsports.
The group charges that "beer companies are actively and with conscious intent fostering the juxtaposition of drinking and driving" through their ties to motorsports.
Whether you buy that one or not, the beer companies could be facing a tough fight.
A beer ban would wipe another big arm of NASCAR, leaving the major teams of Bodine, Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace without $3-million-per-year sponsors. Also, NASCAR would need to find a new backer for its Triple A Busch Grand National circuit.
"It would make for a tough, tough situation," Bodine said, shaking his head.
"Like everybody else in the garage, I'm hoping all this stuff will eventually blow over. Hopefully, it will all just go away."
Don't bet on it, though.
by CNB