NASCAR: nascar to allow hard liquor sponsorship?, page 1

Last call for NASCAR's hard-liquor ban

CONCORD, N.C. – NASCAR is set to rescind its ban on hard-liquor sponsorships beginning next season, ThatsRacin.com has learned.

The move should bring an influx of new sponsorship money into the sport. Several Nextel Cup teams – Roush Racing and Richard Childress Racing among them – are primed to sign sponsorship deals with hard-liquor companies, including Diageo and Jack Daniels, sources said.

On Friday, NASCAR officials insisted they had not made a final decision.

"We are currently evaluating the policy we have in place regarding liquor sponsors but no official decision has been made at this time in regard to any changes," NASCAR spokesman Mike Zizzo said.

NASCAR has allowed beer companies to sponsor cars and its Busch series has been sponsored by Anheuser-Busch since 1982.

In recent years also has allowed hard liquor companies to advertise their malt beverage products. For instance, Smirnoff vodka is not allowed, but Smirnoff Ice is allowed as an associate sponsor on Matt Kenseth's No. 17 Ford.

Several other racing series already allow hard liquor advertising. Crown Royal began sponsoring the International Race of Champions series this season.

NASCAR will likely provide several guidelines overseeing the marketing of the hard liquor sponsorships, but is not expected to alter its 18-year-old minimum age requirement for its three national series – Craftsman Trucks, Busch and Cup, sources said.