Friday, February 07, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: Jeff Wolf

Winston should be praised for contributions to racing

Tony Stewart celebrates after winning the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup championship. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. has given NASCAR permission to look for a new sponsor for the series. AP Photo

The body isn't even cold, and everyone wants to know about the will.

It looks as if the end is in sight for Winston's sponsorship of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, and there is concern about the series' future.

But too many people are reacting to Winston's pending departure by first evaluating it selfishly instead of appreciatively.

We need to thank R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. for perhaps saving the series, then helping it flourish.

For that matter, Winston did the same for the National Hot Rod Association's pro drag-racing tour.

Winston stepped in to support NASCAR 33 years ago when American auto manufacturers backed off their involvement because of more pressing matters such as Japanese imports and fuel prices.

Since then the "tastes-good- like-a-cigarette-should" folks have invested more than $100 million in NASCAR through its points funds alone. Winston probably has matched that figure through various promotional and media programs and by supporting race tracks by buying signage and leasing VIP suites.

Winston did the same with professional drag racing, except on a smaller scale. It had been NHRA's series sponsor for 27 years when it had to leave after the 2001 season to comply with the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between state attorneys general and the tobacco industry.

Sports Marketing Enterprises, the marketing and promotional arm for RJR, had to pick between NHRA and NASCAR. It opted for NASCAR.

Although pressure from anti-smoking advocates and a declining number of smokers must have had RJR's top executives pondering cost-cutting moves a year ago, it signed a five-year extension with NASCAR at that time.

"Since that time, our business dynamics have changed dramatically," SME president Ned Leary said this week in a prepared statement. "In our ongoing conversations with NASCAR, we have discussed the potential of their exploring a new series sponsor at some time in the future."

Despite financial, legal and image problems, Winston still increased its Cup points fund this year by $3 million to $17 million.

When Winston left NHRA, many thought the drag-racing group would tumble from being the country's second or, at worst, third most-popular racing series.

Not only has that not happened, Winston's departure opened the door for NHRA to welcome the Coca-Cola Company's Powerade sports drink as a sponsor.

That actually gave NHRA a leg up on NASCAR because Powerade could promote drag racing to a broader customer base that includes kids.

The pending loss of Winston as NASCAR'S primary sponsor is sad news for the sport's old-timers and racers. It's another piece of tradition that could disappear.

The loss is not a threat to the popularity of the stock-car series, but it's a frustrating concession to our country's pervading paternalistic attitude. Our country is wallowing in a pool of politically correct muck and Winston's role in racing is the latest victim.

Through difficult economic times, Winston was always there for NASCAR, NHRA and their member tracks. It's for that reason alone that those series have been the most stable in America in the past 30 years.

It's too bad the do-gooders didn't just butt out.

Jeff Wolf's motorsports column is published Friday. He can be reached at 383-0247 or jwolf@reviewjournal.com.