Hi Everyone - My friend who owns a cigar super store here in North Myrtle Beach asked me if I knew if there was ever a cigar company or brand who sponsored a race car in any class. I told her I did not know but I would ask the best group I knew since if anyone would know - it would be you. Can you and would you let me know what you know about this topic? Thank you!
Shan
Well, there have been cigarette sponsorships galore in IndyCar and F1. Chewing tobacco was also common in the Cup and NXS until the MSA came in.
Not sure a about CIGAR sponsorships but I know of a racer who loved his cigars: J.D. McDuffie.
I can remember a Busch car sponsored by Swisher Sweets (little cigars - I had to look it up). Do not know the year, driver or anything else - surely someone here will know...
Swisher Sweets was a sponsor of Rob Moroso in the late '80's when he was in the Busch Series.
Didnt the Famous Jimmy Mosteller of Have a Tampa fame have his Cigar name on a car in the 70s or am I dreaming. It would probably be in the Bush cars (Sportsman) or maybe it was the Grand National series.
It may have been at Middle Ga Raceway where I saw it or Atlanta because he was all over with his promotions and of course his announcing of the races . This may take a little digging to clarify 
)
Here are a few I found.
Hav-A-Tampa came next and was the most successful dirt Late Model touring series in the nation in the 90s.
Red Buck Premium Cigars will co-sponsor the Go FAS Racing No. 32 Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series "Irwin Tools Night Race" at the Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 22, 2014
John Hay CigarsMain Sponsor for Gerhart RacingAugust 19, 2007
Thanks Alex. that is what I remembered too.
I think there is too, but she is interested in some of the history and the popularity or lack there of in the racing industry. Cigarettes and chewing tobacco have always been big, but trying to see if cigars ever had a foothold. Lots of great information coming in. I really appreciate it.
Thanks Steve. Lots of good information coming in and I really appreciate it.
Excellent - thank you Blane.
Thanks Johnny, I really appreciate it.
Awesome information! Thank you so much.
Hi Shan i may have a post card of Rob Moroso in that car i will see if i can find it
Shan, I do not recall in the last few years of any Tobacco sponsorship in any series except a tobacco company in Va did some sponsor with Martinsville speedway a few years back. I would be very happy for a sponsorship on our Racersreunion Nascar Simulator, I can smoke and also sell Cigars lol
Jimmy maybe you need to try Vapors Get the Sponsor and get an electronic kick
That's a good idea Johnny
It is kind of interesting more cigar brands didn't jump aboard the racing bandwagon. With folks such as Red Byron, JD Stacy, King Richard, Ed Otto and others lighting up, it seems someone would have paid to have one or more of them to endorse their line of stogies.
And in late 2012, a company called Ted's Cigars came out with a Dale Jr themed cigar.
http://tedscigars.com/brands/dale-earnhardt-jr-cigars/
RED BUCK PREMIUM CIGARS #32 BRISTOL RACE
http://www.redbuck.com/sites/all/themes/redbuck/images/Car%20-%20Pr...
http://www.redbuck.com/sites/all/themes/redbuck/images/10347647_101...
http://www.redbuck.com/racing_news
JOHN HAY CIGARS
http://johnhaycigars.netfirms.com/images/stock%20car6.JPG
http://johnhaycigars.netfirms.com/Gerhart%20Racing.htm
http://johnhaycigars.netfirms.com/sponsorships.htm
http://johnhaycigars.netfirms.com/stock%20car%20racing%20experience.htm" target="_blank"> http://johnhaycigars.netfirms.com/stock%20car%20racing%20experience...
ROB MOROSO
1989 NASCAR BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPION
SWISHER SWEETS CIGARS
http://www.siamanswer.com/%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A5%E0%B...
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- e-Swisher has reached an agreement to extend its partnership with The Motorsports Group (TMG) to be primary sponsor of No. 40 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Reed Sorenson in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, beginning with the Memorial Day weekend event at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25, 2013.
http://www.cspnet.com/category-news/tobacco/articles/e-swisher-expa...
I READ SOMEWHERE SINCE 1971 - 2010, THAT RJR COMPANY/WINSTON CIGARETTES, HAD NASCAR TO BANNED OTHER CIGAR AND CIGARETTE ADVERTISEMENT AT THE NASCAR WINSTON CUP SERIES TRACKS.
DON'T KNOW HOW THE CHEWING TOBACCO COMPANIES GOT TO SPONSOR THE NASCAR RACES AND RACE CARS DURING THAT TIME?
Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Maybe this will help...
If my memory is correct, our RR member N.B. Arnold was involved with the Swisher Sweets PR campaign for Robbie.
Confirmed by this post on the Robbie Moroso In Memoriam Page at RR:
Comment by N.B. Arnold on August 28, 2011 at 8:15pm
He was a good kid, with a wealth of talent, who didn't have the time to mature into his potential. I was fortunate enough to know Rob and his dad Dick quite well as I was his PR representative for Swisher Sweets during the 1989 championship year. Some really good memories there.
I've been away for a while, but I see Johnny Mallonee already posted the series that my friend, Jimmy Mosteller founded, the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Series. He was the Sr. National Vice President of the Cigar company. It was the largest dirt late model series of the time from 1990-2000. Jimmy had started working for Hav-A-Tampa in 1949, while announcing at local tracks across Georgia. Jimmy was "everybody's buddy" as he gave numerous drivers his cigars and they would put Hav-A-Tampa stickers on their cars. Here's a photo of Georgia Racing Hall of Fame member, Charlie Mincey circa 1951 after a win at the PeachBowl Speedway, driving his Cherokee Garage (same garage Gober Sosebee raced out of) with a Hav-A-Tampa blunt painted behind the door...
