[caption id="attachment_2562" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Bill Elliott Coors #9 1988[/caption]
In 1989, after two years of driving a Valvoline sponsored car, Neil Bonnett accepted an offer to re-join the Wood Brothers and their Citgo oil and gas sponsored car, which he drove until 1990, when he was involved in a bad accident at Darlington, which sidelined him for a long time.
Over the course of the late 70's until the mid 80's consecutively, Darrell Waltrip first drove a Gatorade sponsored car, then switched to a Mountain Dew car for two years, then came a Pepsi car for one year, and finally a Budweiser car for three years. Although all are not direct competition for one another, Mountain Dew and Pepsi, owned by the same company, could possibly be a competitor against Gatorade.
Speaking of beverages......In the 70's, Bobby Allison was known as the driver of the "Coke Machine." He first drove for Coca Cola in 1969, in a Dodge Daytona, then the next year, bringing Coke with him, went to Junior Johnson and his Chevy team. Several years later, he then took Coke with him to Roger Penske's American Motors Team, now driving a Matador. In 1981, he drove a Gatorade sponsored #88, vacated by Darrell Waltrip. Gatorade stayed with the team for two seasons, when Miller American Beer stepped in and stayed with Allison until his retirement.
[caption id="attachment_2565" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
1972 bobby Allison #12 Coke Machine[/caption]
Speaking of Miller, Mark Martin drove a Miller car in ASA and a few Winston Cup races in 1985-1986. In 1988, when he was Jack Roush's start-up driver, Stroh's beer was their first sponsor, before switching to Folger's coffee.
Other "soda war" candidates are both Jeff Gordon and currently, Kyle Busch. When Gordon first came on the scene in the early-mid 90's, he was sponsored by Coca-Cola. That associate sponsorship only lasted one or two seasons as Pepsi came on board, and still is. And as for Kyle Busch, NOS Energy Drink was an associate sponsor at the cup level and part-time primary sponsor in the Nationwide and Trucks. Starting this year, Monster Energy took over those duties.
In 1982, Benny Parsons signed on with Johnny Hayes' team with first sponsor as Weyman & Bruton Chewing Tobacco. In 1983, Skoal was brought on the team until the first Michigan race, when the colors were changed once again to black, gold and white for Copenhagen. This was kept on Benny's car until 1987, when he left Johnny Hayes' team to drive Tim Richmond's Folger's car at Hendrick Motorsports. In 87', Benny's brother, Phil, who had been driving Skoal cars since 1984, was to drive the #55 Copenhagen Oldsmobile. Just before the mid-way point in the season, the main sponsor was once again changed back to Skoal, and was kept that way for another two years.
[caption id="attachment_2563" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Copenhagen #55 1984[/caption]
Speaking of the American Tobacco Company, over the course of its sponsorship in NASCAR, they made sure their name was out there. Over the course of 20 years, they sponsored multiple cars and teams in multiple series. First, with the original 'Bandit' with Harry Gant as driver, Hal Needham as owner. Then with Parsons and Johnny Hayes as I mentioned. Then after Phil Parsons, both Terry Labonte and Rick Mast drove the Skoal cars, with Rick driving the #1 until '95, when the sponsor was switched to Ken Schrader's #33. Speaking of Schrader, he switched sponsors from Kodiak to Skoal, both competitors.
Skoal wasn't the only one who sponsored several cars; Wrangler Jeans sponsored Winston Cup and Busch Grand National cars from 1980-1987, with help from Dave Fulton. In 1984, while still honoring contracts with both Dale Earnhardt and Bud Moore [with driver Ricky Rudd], Wrangler sponsored two different cars and two different teams, with two different car manufacturers. This unique sponsorship program only lasted one year as the contract ended with Bud Moore, and Earnhardt was the sole Wrangler car from 1985-1987.
[caption id="attachment_2564" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Wrangler Cars 1984 #15-Rudd #3-Earnhardt[/caption]
Back to competing sponsors, Junior Johnson had three different chicken sponsors over the course of his ownership, which were Holly Farms, off and on from around 1964-1978, then Kentucky Fried Chicken 1984-1987, and Banquet Frozen Chicken from 1988-1991. Burger King was also an associate sponsor in 1983, which was a competitor against KFC, that joined on board a year later. To top all that off, Junior was even the owner of Jimmy Spencer's McDonald's #27 in 1993 and 1994.
Junior also had a variety of beers on his cars. Carling beer sponsored Cale Yarborough's #11 in 1974. Then Busch came on board for the 1979 and 1980 seasons, with Budweiser staying on from 1984-1994.
Over the course of his short, but successful career, Alan Kulwicki was sponsored by several different restaurants. In his debut season in 1985, he drove several races in Bill Terry's Hardees car number #32 and #38. In 86', the sponsor was Quincy's Steak House, and before the Southern 500, Kulwicki purchased the team from Terry. Then in 92', his championship year, Hooter's was on his car for the full season and the next season until his tragic death that April of 1993.
[caption id="attachment_2566" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Alan Kulwicki Hooters #7 1991[/caption]
Overall, this is just a portion of many sponsors that compete against one another, but had the help of one single driver.
-Cody
Email: cody7474@yahoo.com
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