Sponsorship in NASCAR has turned into a thorny issue recently. Take, for instance, the recent release of Chandler Smith from Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity team, where he clinched a P5 finish at the season’s end. Despite this achievement, he struggled to secure sponsors to champion his cause for a seat on the team, ultimately settling for a position driving a truck for FRM in the Series.
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Similarly, even Kyle Busch found himself on the chopping block with JGR in 2022 due to sponsorship woes.
The landscape was not always so fraught. In the era of Richard Petty, the hunt for sponsorship did not cast such a long shadow, largely because the digital distractions of mobile phones and social media were non-existent and people would physically come to the tracks to watch the races.
Reflecting on his engagement with fans, back in 2020, Petty shared a glimpse into that simpler time: “At the time when I started running and my dad was running, there was no sponsorship, okay? All of the money came out of the racing purse.”
He further continued, “For some reason, it registered on me that the fan was the sponsor for me. If the guy didn’t come to the grandstand to buy that ticket, then the promoter couldn’t pay me and then I couldn’t take my money, give it to my wife, and let her take care of the household things. So, the first thing you know, ‘Thank you for coming to the race and helping me make a living.’ And so it just came easy.”
That’s why, in the days of yore, drivers like Petty didn’t need sponsorship to make their mark; they simply rolled up their sleeves and got involved.
Legends like Petty would not only work on their cars but also join the crew in hauling them to the track. Often, he’d pitch in to help unload. After the race, he was content to perch himself on a nearby pole, signing autographs for any fan who approached. Once everything was packed and ready, they would collect Petty and head home.
Indeed, it was Petty’s gracious interactions with fans, coupled with his racing prowess, that bestowed upon him the title ‘The King’. His friendly demeanor made him a de facto goodwill ambassador for NASCAR and a beloved figure nationwide, always ensuring his signature graced every fan’s memorabilia until the last wish was granted.
Today, while fans can still snag autographs and snap photos with NASCAR drivers, the intimate and straightforward charm of Petty’s era, where fan engagement alone could sustain a racer, is a chapter firmly in the past.
