Cigarettes returning to NASCAR

The product that once helped propel NASCAR from a regional southern sport to National prominence is returning.

The RJ Reynolds tobacco company through its Winston cigarette branding in NASCAR was once seen everywhere in the sport from the title sponsorship to the iconic red and white colors. As smoking began falling out of the popular culture however, the advertising for cigarettes changed and in 2004, RJ Reynolds tobacco left the sport and was replaced by Sprint, a telecommunications company.

Cigarettes may now be returning to the sport of NASCAR on a limited basis.

A manufacturer of electronic cigarettes, Green Smoke, will sponsor T.J. Bell in the 52nd running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 29th at Charlotte Motor Speedway through its Blu Cigs brand.
Green Smoke's sponsorship of Bell will mark its first NASCAR endeavor, as well as the first NASCAR sponsorship by any organization within the electronic cigarette industry.

"One of the world's signature televised sporting events, NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 is the ideal global platform to showcase the partnership of Green Smoke and T.J. Bell, a talented NASCAR driver who is making the move to NASCAR's premiere division, the Sprint Cup Series," states Steven Arnold, VP of Marketing & Customer Satisfaction for Green Smoke, an industry leader in providing an authentic, alternative smoking experience. “

The electronic cigarette industry has been controversial with the FDA citing in a report last year that no company has yet submitted any clinical trial results for the product. In a report the FDA said the devices turn nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user. The State of California tried to ban the product unsuccessfully although the industry agreed to ensure the products weren’t marketed to minors.