Great TV Commercials by Racing Sponsors

I think we’ll all agree that sponsors have played an important role in the development, growth, and continuation of stock car racing. Here in Charlotte, folks fork over more than $100 for a ticket to watch an NBA game by a terrible team with just 4 wins. Can you imagine what a ticket would cost today to attend a major NASCAR race if sponsors weren’t underwriting many of the costs by sponsoring races and race teams?

Over the years there have been many memorable television commercials by companies who also sponsored races and race teams. I have laughed at the Budweiser frogs and felt a sense of peace when the Clydesdales marched through the snow during the holidays. I’ve found myself humming the Pontiac “Wide Tracking” tune and enjoying the antics of the Hamm’s Beer bear in the Land of Sky Blue Waters. I’ve been ready with the answer when the commercial asked, “What’ll you have?” (Pabst Blue Ribbon). I always knew when it was Miller Time and enjoyed the Gusto promised by Schlitz. I knew it was Black Label Mabel was supposed to bring.

I’ve seen the USA in my Chevrolet and tried out Ford’s Better Idea. I wore Wrangler Jeans and smoked RJR cigarettes, cooked with Crisco and laundered with Tide to get out the grease stains. I poured STP in my crankcase and bought Goodyear tires. I’ve pumped Pure Firebird Racing gasoline and Sunoco Blue 360.

So many of the companies who have been around racing at one time or another have produced ads that were memorable and that I enjoyed tremendously. I do, however, have a personal favorite all-time television ad by a company/product who was also a racing sponsor.

In 1933 a young man from Nashville, Tennesse began a small meat packing company in Lynchburg, Virginia and three years later moved it to Salem, Virginia, next door to Roanoke. Valleydale Packing Company, proprietor of Valleydale Meats quickly gained a very good reputation and expanded.

From 1980-1991, a span of 12 seasons, Valleydale sponsored the Spring race at Bristol that had originally been called the Southeastern 500. 12 seasons is a long run in the world of race sponsorships and it only ended because the company was sold to Smithfield Meats in 1992 and now operates as a subsidiary of Smithfield’s Gwaltney brand and division.

When Roanoke TV station WSLS signed on the air its first commercial was a Valleydale ad. I give you all this history because my favorite television commercial of all-time remains an early Valleydale ad that I watched in Richmond, Virginia as a kid. It always got our attention and stopped us in our tracks. Here’s my favorite ad by a sponsor involved in racing. How about you? Do you have a favorite?

Oh boy Dave, remember that one well. It ran regularly in the Piedmont of N.C. and Valleydale products were popular here. So much so that I never even noticed that the ham in the commercial had the state of Virginia on it. Wondered what happened to them, now I know.

One I’ve seen on YouTube in the past and simply can’t find now as I need it is The King’s spot for STP’s Son of a Gun. To this day, a regular testosterone-beer-fueled guttural chant from us on race weekend is “Shoot da dash, shoot da tars.”

I did find a picture of a shirt influenced by the spot – now I just need to find it on ebay to buy and wear!

And I did find a picture of this guy. Its not a video. And its not Richard Petty. But it is funny to me.

Man I remember this that was some good stuff!Thanks Dave for the memories!

I’m gonna post alot, but these are some of my favorites…..

1986 Unocal 76 w/ Bill Elliott –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erFL3X2hjPI

1987 Ford w/ Bill Elliott –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMC1QsJ5HFk

1997 Reeses w/ Bill Elliott (my favorite of Bill) –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNPy08DtTug

1998 McDonalds w/ Bill Elliott –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avC7jQ7WXYA&feature=related

1996 McDonalds w/ Bill Elliott –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlC91KX_RGw

2004 Mt. Dew w/ Kasey Kahne (One of the first one’s I can remember) –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPrBvgQ0m7M

I never remember seeing the next two on TV, but their funny (Stanley tools with Kasey and Elliott Sadler)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=Iwhro…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=5UGpL…

2004 Coke Family , probably the first one I can remember watching…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eppXc-OOPKA

2008 Home Depot w/ Tony teaching Joey the ‘ways’ of the Home Depot car.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gA-1YXw78I&feature=related

2008 UPS, the last commercial with the truck. Features Ned Jarrett.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WYVy_lVHXM&feature=related

1986 Levi Garrett with Geoff Bodine (always liked the song.)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MR6PCYHCkw

2000 Monte Carlo with the Earnhardt’shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQalqQQ6Jyc&feature=fvwrel

2004 Bud. lolhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM4rU4jit5k

2004 kfc –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIcpqL3m2hQ&feature=related

2005Dominoeswith Jr. and Waltrip – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBK5u9vAFQE

Not very good quality, but you get the point…http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=1fc4F…

Well, I guess that’s good for now, I suppose I shouldn’t post my favorite Danica Patrickcommercial….lol