Cigarette sponsors on race cars: cool or not?

I shake my head at anyone weak-willed enough to start smoking after seeing a cigarette ad on a race car. I also shake my head at threads designed solely to generate drama and site hits - unless our opinions are actually having a say in the outcome.

Cigarettes are not cool anywhere in any fashion.

I hate that being outraged and offended is so trendy. (no reference to the above post)

David S. Wallens wrote: Just pulling some event coverage photos, and I see a car carrying the logo of a cigarette company. I realize it's paying homage to a historic race car, but I wonder, Is this cool with people today or not? Honestly, I was a little surprised to see that.

I can't remember a high level rallycross where there wasn't a Subaru with number 555.

Swank Force One wrote: Don't care. You're racing. Have any sponsor you want on your car. I like seeing all the old liveries with the booze and cig sponsors. Back to a time when men were men.

When men were men, when women were women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri had Jagermeister livery on their Porsche 956s.

Swank Force One wrote: Don't care. You're racing. Have any sponsor you want on your car. I like seeing all the old liveries with the booze and cig sponsors. Back to a time when men were men.

Yeah, I'm pretty firmly in this camp. I don't approve of smoking at all, and I really only drink in moderation. But banning advertising from racecars because OMG CHILDREN is just silly.

HappyAndy wrote: IMO, tobacco livery on a historic car is perfectly acceptable. For a modern car or tribute car, I wouldn't like it.

555 and Rothman's were cigarettes.

There's a really cool video, Gearbox the Movie, where they swap the trans in an Audi Quattro on the side of the road somewhere in the Middle East (I think) and and the end, everyone makes a show of digging out their Rothmans' for a job well done.

I never knew that 555 was a cigarette company until I read this thread.

I'm fine with the livery's. I really don't think that would make anyone want to start smoking, or change brands if they already do.

One of my all time favorite livery's.

Stupid to even ask. Do it. If someone whines, slap em upside the head and tell them to stop being a vagina. The children at events are too young to know what Marlboro is anyways. If they are teenagers, they are already doing it. No reason to cater to the cowards of this modern generation. This Gen won't be able to claw out of a wet paper sack.

kb58 wrote: I shake my head at anyone weak-willed enough to start smoking after seeing a cigarette ad on a race car. I also shake my head at threads designed solely to generate drama and site hits - unless our opinions are actually having a say in the outcome.

This guy gets it.

Didn't care then, don't care now.

Keith Tanner wrote:

Streetwiseguy wrote: I wonder how legal it is, even if its a tribute? I'd imagine most people would let it go, but I could see an overzealous enforcer taking issue with it.

Which is exactly what happened to the Targa Newfoundland. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-brew/targa-newfoundland-car-rally-targeted-over-logo-driver-205911426.html

This is splitting hairs but to Street's point: "No person may display a tobacco product-related brand element or the name of a tobacco manufacturer in a promotion that is used, directly or indirectly, in the sponsorship of a person, entity, event, or permanent facility"

If the tobacco or alcohol manufacturer isn't giving me sponsor money, this makes it sound like there isn't a darn thing they can do.

Now to find some "Sex, breakfast of champions" stickers to slather over everything....

Without cigarette money racing would be a very different place today.

Personally, anytime I see a smoker over 50 years old I thank them for their contribution.

way better than the lame sponsors you see on race cars these days. I mean, there are NASCAR liveries for Viagra and a half dozen other drugs to fight various ailments, currently there's a NASCAR car with "Straight Outa Compton" livery (for the movie).

I smoke, but I didn't start because of race car livery. I started because a hot girl offered me a cig in college and later asked me out (8) ) I also can't say I've ever bought any product just because I saw the logo on a race car (unless it's a car-related product or company, then maybe I went and checked it out).

Some of the coolest logos ever on race cars/teams have been things like Lucky Strike, Rothmans, Marlboro, Martini, and Warsteiner.

Very cool.

mblommel wrote: Not a fan of smoking, but even a bigger non-fan of the puritanical bent our society is on. I could care less who sponsors a race car. It the immortal words of Larry the Cable Guy "What the hell is this, Russia? "

No. If this were Russia the cigarette would smoke you!

trigun7469 wrote: Didn't Paul Gentilozzi at one time have one of his skin clubs sponsor a champ car.

The Shark Lounge used to be on a lot of Modifieds that ran in New Symrna for Speedweeks. It did get me to make my first, disappointing trip to a gentlemen's club and learn a valuable lesson about lowering your expectations if you travel at off peak times.

I don't smoke because of race car livery, I smoke because I don't want to be one of those douchebag geeks.

pinchvalve wrote: Cigarettes are not cool anywhere in any fashion.

true, but i love the marlboro indy cars of the 80's and the skoal bandit nascar car was hardcore awesome.

Tobacco sponsors are not allowed in Germany, but porn companies and brothels (legal in Germany) are all over a lot of the cars at the Nurburgring 24, and in the RCN series.

Personally, I think legal products should be able to purchase advertising space from people willing to sell it to them, provided they're marketing the product to its intended audience. But I also think a series or a team absolutely has the right to regulate the sponsorship dollars coming into their series.

In a historic setting, I have less of a problem with it. It puts what is becoming an arcane practice in historical context. If no one smoked on Mad Men it wouldn't be the same show.

And if anyone wants to find me this weekend, I'll be autocrossing with the Central Florida Region SCCA in the the Wu-Tang Clan/Bushmaster Rifles/Recreational Bath Salts KBS Formula 500 presented by Fleshlight.

I think that cigarettes are sometimes Kool.

i started watching NASCAR races in the 86-87 time frame, when they were trying to win the "Winston Cup" at the end of the year... i didn't even realize that "Winston" was a cigarette company until 1990 or so- well, i knew Winston was a kind of smokes, but i didn't make the connection with "that" Winston until that point. and once i realized it, i didn't want to immediately start smoking Winstons... or the Camels or Marlboros that were on other cars.. hell, i didn't even want to start chewing despite the Skoal Bandit being the second coolest car on the track (only beat out by that black and silver #3 in the "cool" contest)..

Trackmouse wrote: Stupid to even ask. Do it. If someone whines, slap em upside the head and tell them to stop being a vagina. The children at events are too young to know what Marlboro is anyways. If they are teenagers, they are already doing it. No reason to cater to the cowards of this modern generation. This Gen won't be able to claw out of a wet paper sack.

I like the cut of your jib. Let's be friends.

Back in the day when I smoked I would visit the Camel Tent at Road America and happily enjoy taking the "free" 10-pack cigarettes the girls would be passing out.