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NASCAR WCUP: Winston brand will end sponsorship of 'Winston 500' after Talladega

8 October 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company announced today that its Winston brand's sponsorship of the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will end at the conclusion of the 2000 event.

The announcement brings to an end the longest continuous race sponsorship in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The Winston brand has served as a title-right sponsor for one of Talladega's annual NASCAR Winston Cup events since 1971, the same year the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company signed on as series sponsor for NASCAR's premier division.

"Our sponsorship of the Winston 500 at Talladega has been a small but valuable part of Winston's involvement in NASCAR Winston Cup racing," said Rick Sanders, president of RJR's Sports Marketing Enterprises. "Grant Lynch and the entire team at Talladega are important partners as evidenced by Winston's strong, continued presence and activity at the track.

"As with all aspects of our overall sponsorship activities, individual program elements are reviewed annually to ensure a consistent fit with Winston's evolving business objectives and strategies. The decision to relinquish Winston's title sponsorship of the fall race reflects nothing more than our desire to redeploy our resources against other NASCAR Winston Cup programs that we feel can better achieve those business objectives."

R.J. Reynolds and its Winston brand have enjoyed one of the most enviable sports-marketing marriages in history with NASCAR. Through programs such as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series point fund, The Winston, the Winston No Bull 5 and the NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus, the Winston brand has sought to reward drivers and fans alike for their dedication to the most popular motorsport in the world.

Winston has contributed $57,270,000 in point fund money to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series over the past 30 seasons, including a record $3 million payout to the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup champion.

In 1985, Winston introduced the Winston Million, which paid an eligible driver a $1 million bonus should he win three of four selected races. In 1998, that program reinvented itself as the Winston No Bull 5, which pays out up to $10 million annually to eligible drivers and fans alike.

The Winston, NASCAR's all-star event, has been a fan favorite since its introduction in 1985. This season, the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. upped the ante for the all-star event by awarding the race winner a $500,000 payday, making The Winston the richest race per mile on the NASCAR Winston Cup schedule.

Text Provided By Denny Darnell

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