Some sponsors are connected with certain drivers, yet weren’t the first driver they sponsored. I thought of this in another post, how Hooters first actually sponsored Larry Moyer. Many people connect them with Alan Kulwicki. Here are some sponsors, and some drivers who were first involved in different situations than they later became famous with:
For example: Skoal… everyone thinks of Harry Gant, yet he wasn’t first. Who was?
Sunoco… famous with Sterling Marlin, and Terry Labonte. But who was first?
Mark Martin… it wasn’t Stroh’s Beer.
Folgers Coffee… it wasn’t Schrader or Richmond
Kellogg’s Corn Flakes… it was not Terry Labonte
Interstate Batteries… not Dale Jarrett OR Bobby Labonte
Alan Kulwicki… not Hooters, or Zerex
Texaco… everyone thinks of Davey Allison
Texaco DIESEL Fuel… only saw it once, so this could be tricky
Piedmont Airlines… not Iceman Labonte
Pepsi Cola… many think of Jeff Gordon, some even think of Lennie Pond, but I recall one even earlier.
Publix… sponsored a car at Atlanta one year for a current Cup racer.
Dupont was in the sport, but not on Gordons cars first.
Jasper Engines… was on Robert Pressleys cars but a relatively unknown driver had them first. His son now races in Cup.
I’m not “absolutely” positive of some of these answers, so there could be some debate… after all, I like learning some new thigs too. If this thread goes well, I’ll post more later.
Piedmont Airlines sponsored Ricky Rudd when he drove for Richard Childress…
Jasper Engines - Ken Ragan
Pepsi Cola was on the Pontiacs driven by the late Roy Tyner…
that’s a start!!!
Skoal… Benny Parsons?
Sunoco… Terry Labonte?
Mark Martin… Apache Stoves, Activision.
Folgers Coffee… Dunno
Kellogg’s Corn Flakes… Greg Sacks/Dave Marcis
Interstate Batteries… Stanley Smith
Alan Kulwicki… Hardees/Quincy’s
Publix… sponsored a bunch actually - Benny Parsons, Robby Gordon, even Ernie Irvan may have driven for Donleavey that year. Larry Pearson had some Publix sponsorship at one point.
Winger got a tough one with Charlie Rudolph in the Sunoco car, #04
Tripper got a couple I was looking for… Mark Martin with Apache Stove, and Robby Gordon and Publix. Stanley Smith was the driver for Interstate Batteries, although the main signage was for their “Powertron” line of batteries. Small details aside, it is the answer I was looking for!
Irvan did drive for Junie, with Tru-Cur on the side (until the check from them bounced), and Benny drove with Bulls Eye BBQ sponsorship. Seems like everyone spent time in Junies cars at one time or another.
Ernie’s career skyrocketed just after that check bounced. At the time, it looked like he was screwed… all the rides were gone, and his sponsor bailed. But… he was the best driver available when Phil Parsons got fired from the Kodak car after just 3 races. If that check from Tru-Cur would have cleared, would anyone ever have found out how good Ernie Irvan really was?
Tim Richmond DID drive a Folger’s car (Rick Hendricks #25), but he wasn’t the first that had that sponsor. Nice try though… I’m glad people are trying this game!
Folger’s and Joe Ruttman was what I was thinking. I don’t recall Tommy Ellis in that car, but very well could be wrong.
The Sunoco/Mark Donahue guess is a good one. Although they sponsored him in Can-Am, Trans-Am and Indy cars, it was strictly an AMC Factory sponsorship on his Roger Penske owned Matador in Nascar. I believe there was a conflict at the time with Union 76, who supplied all the fuel. In return, Nascar wouldn’t allow their gasoline competitors to sponsor cars in Nascar events… which is why “Havoline” was on Daveys cars rather than “Texaco”, “Mobil One” is an oil not a fuel, “Superflow” instead of Exxon, “Tropartic 66” instead of Phillips 66, etc…
Car owners Earl & Check Sadler thought they found a loophole in the rules, and got Texaco to sponsor them under the name of Texaco Diesel (not gasoline), but the idea got nixed after only 1 event that I’m aware of!
Don’t be so quick to flaggelate yourself old man, you might be on to something here. Chuck Bown (who performed miracles in Bobby Allison’s car) did drive the Nescafe Pontiac in the Busch series, but also did drive for Tex Powell in the Cup series at that time, sponsored by…Kellogg’s!
