Maybe Someone Should Tell NASCAR Prohibition Ended (About 71 Years Ago)

by Valerie Wood  

 

 

It can be viably argued that Prohibition (an ancient history term for you young fans, which was the result of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constituation, which banned the sell of consumable alcohol) was the backbone for the creation of NASCAR. Ages ago, when it was illegal to sell liquor of any kind, people who were intent on drinking simply made their own alcohol. They referred to it as bathtub gin in the North and moonshine in the South. Sometimes, the feds would find out about the bootleg product and then the makers would have to run from the law. The faster your car, the better chance of getting away. With me so far? In the South, vehicles were souped up but "stock looking" cars that could out run the government revenuers. When there wasn't a revenuer around to chase the moonshiners, they raced each other on the dirt roads all over the South, to see who had the fastest car. This led to races on circular and horseracing tracks at fairgrounds, which was the genesis of stock car racing. Admitted moonshiners like Fonty Flock, Junior Johnson and Lee Petty were racing their cars. And by the late 1930's, this racing had made it to the beaches at Daytona, FL. Running moonshine is not only legend in NASCAR, it's history, it's fact and it's part of the lore.  

Even after Prohibition was repealed in 1933, racing continued.  

In a time where many teams are struggling to find major sponsorships, and NASCAR allows beer, malted beverages, and "male enhancement" products to be splattered all over the hoods of "not stock looking" cars as primary sponsors, can anyone explain why NASCAR has stubbornly refused to allow "hard liquor" sponsorships on cars? I'm sure that Roush Racing, who has just been denied (by NASCAR) sponsorship from a major distillery would like to know. If you're going to allow beer products (Budweiser, Miller Lite, Coors Light) on cars, and have your Triple-A Series sponsored by Busch Beer (as it has been for the past several years), wherein lies the conflict? What if Jeff Gordon's sponsor left and, say, Beefeater Gin wanted to plunk out $40 million a year to sponsor his car? Would NASCAR refuse to let that happen? Or does it depend on who's asking?  

The Crown Royal IROC Series is independent of NASCAR, and has tastefully used the logos and emblems of Crown Royal for their adverstisements. Jim Beam is on one of Michael Andretti's IRL cars. The NASCAR diecast market (with the exception of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. items) has plummeted. Commercial tie-ins, with collectibles from niche markets, could only benefit from a new infusion of sponsors. Whether it be Jack Daniel's or Captain Morgan, Jim Beam or Crown Royal, many dedicated collectors of items bearing the logos and trademarks of their favorite product would be more inclined to purchase a diecast car with those logos branded on them - versus all the Viagara memorabilia collectors out there. I'm still waiting for the Stayfree car to show up on the track (...NOT!). That seems to be more in line with NASCAR's perceived 'preferred audience' in their quest to blaze new frontiers of fandom.  

On the one hand, it's a shame that NASCAR is one again so narrow-minded as to refuse a sponsorship which would reach the very audience NASCAR maintains it is seeking--that of the adult, middle-class consumer. Perhaps they really are just after the beer-drinking clientele, after all. It seems unlikely that NASCAR is worried about being targetted by MADD; after all, beer and malt beverages are permitted by the sanctioning body. Al Capone was probably the most notorious gangsters in the bootlegging business. (As an aside, family lore is that he and my Aunt Irene were an item at a 'safe house' he had built in Tennessee.) One might even compare Al's running of his business to the way the France family has run NASCAR. Maybe this moonshine stuff is just plain hitting too close to home to suit NASCAR's taste as they try to upgrade their image? It's something to think about.

For information on Valerie Wood's novel, Enforcer, visit http://www.enforcer.fcpages.com/ (Official Website for Enforcer) or http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/14441 (Publisher's Website/read an excerpt).  

 

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