NASCAR and alcohol promotion: Gentlemen, stop your engines

The auto racing circuit and others participating in the aggressive marketing of liquor toward youths must reverse course.

Editorial. Feb. 7, 2005.

Three years ago, NBC wisely dropped what the AMA called its "shockingly irresponsible" plan to air advertising for hard liquor. But on Feb. 20, when the green flag drops on the Daytona 500, hard-liquor advertising will race its way onto network television.

That's because NASCAR -- the most popular auto racing circuit in the United States, with attendance and TV ratings second only to pro football -- has allowed hard-liquor companies to sponsor cars for its 2005 season.

That means some race cars will be rolling advertisements for hard liquor as they circle past NASCAR's estimated 75 million fans. The season starts with its premier race, the Daytona 500, televised by Fox. To cement the idea that buying an auto-racing sponsorship can be a backdoor to breaking a self-imposed ban on certain advertising, later NASCAR races will be televised by, of all networks, NBC.

NASCAR says it is waving a yellow flag to hard-liquor companies, emphasizing that they should tout responsible drinking and make sure not to gear its advertising to those younger than the legal age of 21.

That sounds like a good idea. But the reality is that millions of NASCAR fans are younger than 21, and 10 million underage youth are already alcohol drinkers. Also, NASCAR fans are intensely loyal to the sponsors of the sport, and of their favorite drivers. For example, many media accounts chronicled how cell phone company Nextel got a growth spurt from NASCAR fans after it paid to sponsor the series' championship trophy. It's hard to imagine that hard-liquor sponsors would not see a similar boost.