Deal May Affect Sports Sponsorship

Although stock cars still zoom past bright billboards for cigarettes and cowboys still compete in rodeos peppered with references to chew, Friday’s historic tobacco settlement could mean an end to the industry’s longtime alliance with sports.

Cigarette makers, lawyers, health officials and politicians who have wrangled over litigation against the tobacco industry announced a tentative agreement Friday, which includes a provision to ban brand-name tobacco company sponsorship of sports events.

The Winston Cup is arguably the most visible of the industry’s sponsorships in the United States. R.J. Reynolds, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., reportedly puts $25 million to $30 million into motor sports advertising and promotion, including several other NASCAR divisions and drag racing, each year.

R.J. Reynolds has said it would not comment on any speculation concerning sponsorships, and telephone messages left with the company’s sports marketing arm were not immediately returned Friday.

But among Winston Cup drivers at a recent race, talk of a ban was understandably unpopular.

“No. 1, if Winston leaves, NASCAR will have plenty of sponsors to take its place, but that’s not important. What’s important is that Winston has been with us for so long. We have a kinship with them; they’re like family to us,” driver Rick Mast said.

NASCAR issued a statement saying it was premature to speculate on what effect the tentative agreement would have on motor sports.

At Portland International Raceway, site of this weekend’s Budweiser-G.I. Joe 200 Indy-car race, reaction was muted. Ronald Richards, vice president of communications for Championship Auto Racing Teams, said CART had no immediate comment.

“We can’t comment on it until we’ve had a chance to look at the specifics,” he said.

Four CART teams are sponsored by tobacco companies, most notably the Marlboro-sponsored Team Penske, which includes highly successful drivers Paul Tracy and Al Unser Jr.

In the Marlboro tent and motor coach, team members intently watched the CNN telecast of the settlement announcement. But they referred all questions to the parent company, Philip Morris Cos.

Some, however, maintain that tobacco--smokeless or otherwise--has no place in sports.

Minnesota Attorney General Hubert H. Humphrey III, who has Oeen outspoken in his criticism of the tobacco companies, pointed out that families--and that means children--attend sporting events.

“We have to look at the effects of cigarette marketing overall,” he said.

“We really have to ask ourselves, ‘Is this really appropriate? Is this the right thing to do?”’