In Pictures: Unearthed 1970 Documents Reveal NASCAR’s Original Contract With Winston Agreeing to the Creation of Winston Cup Series

Long before the Cup Series came into existence in 2014, NASCAR had one of the most exciting packages in the form of the Winston Cup Series. For the newbie fans out there, the Winston Cup Series era was the period of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing from 1971–2003 before it was remodeled and modernized into the Chase format that was in existence before the current Cup Series era.

Unlike the current system, which is often at the wrong end, earning criticism from drivers and fans alike, the Winston Cup Series format was more of a fan favorite in one way or another. The driver lineup and the whole format just had something special that still reverberates in the hearts of hard-core NASCAR fans. Now coming to the meat of the matter, recently the community stumbled upon the original contract between the then-tobacco giant Winston and NASCAR, officially signed by Bill France himself.

The iconic Winston-NASCAR partnership and its unique clauses

Before the Coca-Cola collaboration with NASCAR and before the government decided to slap back on tobacco laws, strengthening its grip on tobacco products and their marketing, the North American stock car giant NASCAR had one of the most renowned partnerships that to this date has superseded its name and fame.

Recently, a popular NASCAR writer and enthusiast who goes by the “X” name, nascarman, shared the original contract documents that paved the way for an iconic 33-year-long association, taking stock car racing to new heights. Signed by Bill France, the organization’s founding member, the tweet sheds light on the insides of the contract, highlighting its stipulations and norms, which even covered the driver’s insurance.

The eligibility criteria back in the ’70s were pretty basic, the drivers should meet the qualifications set by the organization and its partner and should be Grand National circuit drivers. Moreover, the agreement also had the clause to pay $50,000 as the annual prize for the winner which could be increased by the organizer’s liking.

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The 4-page document reveals how the founder was able to see things from a driver’s perspective while maintaining a decree to ensure the smooth working of the promotion according to the community’s wishes.

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A tale of tragedy and grief: The last reminder of the Winston Cup era goes for auction

A couple of weeks ago, we brought out the saddening news about one of the sport’s most treasured museums closing down its shutters owing to a spree of lawsuits. The Winston Cup Museum, known for its unique collection of classic NASCAR race cars, is set to close its doors after 19 years of operation on December 16.

Following the legal battle regarding the Winston badge, the owner of the museum is forced to pull the plug and sell the memorabilia at an auction. Will Spencer, who worked closely with NASCAR over four decades, has collected several race machines, with each car having a story of its own.

However, after 19 years of operation, the institution was forced to close down after the tobacco company, ITG, filed multiple lawsuits, claiming that the facility was infringing on its right to market its products to racing fans. While the facility owner tried his level best to rename the museum to preserve history, the monetary constraints got him in a rut, causing everything to fall apart.

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