A car in the race carrying a sponsor from your Hometown always takes the race to another level. At least it always has for me. Seeing the name of a local business or industry, a place where maybe you, your family or friends are a part, a place you can see every day while driving around town gives you a relationship beyond just my favorite driver behind the wheel. If becomes personal. There is my team. But with a Hometown sponsor, it’s MY team no it’s bigger than that…it’s OUR team. That takes it to another level… or at least it always has been for me.
It doesn’t happen often. It’s been a long time since the last time it happened. Sunday…, it’s gonna happen again and as an Owensboro, KY native I couldn’t be happier.
When the field rolls off for the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, JJ Yeley in the #44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet will make its first Cup start, carrying the Green River Distilling Company’s “The Pride of Owensboro” green and amber colors.
I couldn’t be happier
The NASCAR roots run deep here. Darrell and Michael Waltrip are the most well known, but years earlier, GC Spencer followed his mechanics Louis and Crawford Clements (JeremyClements’ grandfather) south to become a Cup regular. Jeremy Mayfield, David, Mark and Jeff Green and later David Keith went south to drive in “The Bigs”. Then you have crew chiefs like Donnie Richeson and Travis Young and many other Yellow Bankers who have left and made and continue to make their mark in NASCAR.
The NASCAR roots don’t run as deep here as Green River Distilling Company’s. Kentucky’s 10th Oldest Licensed distillery, reaches back to 1885. Partnering with NY Racing Team as part of their first national advertising campaign entitled “Raising Your Spirits” Green River uses NASCAR as an important component to increase their brand exposure as they expand distribution into 45 states. Leveraging the Western Kentucky town’s civic pride and the deep roots into both distilling and NASCAR, “The Pride of Owensboro” entry was a natural.
Green River’s plans were to compete in last Week in NASCAR’s Daytona 500. Since NY Racing Team competes as an “Open” Team they have no guaranteed starting spot in a race. If more than 40 teams show up NYRT must qualify to make the race. Unfortunately, their effort fell short as a last lap pass by another whiskey sponsored Open team dashed those hopes. But unlike many other unfortunate teams that raced Sunday. NYRT still had a SuperSpeedway car available. This, presented GRDC the opportunity to finally get a car in the Cup race to continue with their advertising campaign.
It’s going to be a big day as Green River takes the mantle of Owensboro’s team. It’s been a long history.
When Owensboro’s “Wild Child”, Darrell Waltrip hit the Cup scene, it was a subsidiary of one Owensboro’s largest employers, Texas Gas that sponsored his initial Cup efforts. It was their barge lines, Terminal Transport on the hood for Waltrip’s first two wins.
One of the most popular “Local” efforts was the BREWCO Xfinity team owned by Clarence Brewer Jr., his wife Tammy from nearby Central City, KY along with and Todd Wilkerson. It was a total local effort. A forerunner to the contrarian team owner, Barney Visser who shunned Charlotte and fielded his team out of Denver, CO, Brewer fielded his team out of the old Coca-Cola bottling plant in Central City. His team was made up of local talent. The “over-the-wall” gang were locals. In 1995, Brewer signed Owensboro’s Mark Green to drive and in1996 he secured sponsorship from Owensboro’a Swedish Match and carried their Timber Wolf brand on their Chevrolet. Not only was it “home grown” through and through but Sam Bass made the #37 one of the baddest looking rides to ever hit the circuit.
It seemed like everyone in that area either worked on the team, had family or friends on the team, knew someone on the team, worked for or had family or friends who worked for the sponsor. If the Dallas Cowboys was “America’s Team”, BREWCO was Western Kentucky’s team.
Talk about pride.
As with most things, time brought change. Green moved to another team and was replaced by Kevin Grubb, Jeff Purvis, Elton Sawyer and eventually back to Owensboro’s David Green. Before it closed in 2007, Casey Atwood, Ward Burton, Jason Keller and more had been behind the wheel before Johhny Sauter gave it its final ride. Other local sponsors like Kleenex and Williams Company helped keep the local connection but when the team finally relocated to the Charlotte area and sponsorship moved to companies with no local connection, the magic disappeared…
But oh… what a ride!
To be honest, I never thought I’d see it again. NASCAR has changed. Interests have changed. The town has changed. Industries have changed. To have someone local step forward to sponsor a NASCAR entry was not on my bingo card… but along came Green River Distilling Company.
For a Sunday, this Sunday, the magic is back.
I hope JJ gives “The Pride of Owensboro” a good ride. I hope the “Raising Your Spirits” campaign is highly successful, and this is just the beginning of a long-term partnership in the sport.
It would be nice to once again have that Hometown presence there on Sunday to make those races special again.
It’s been gone for way too long.
Welcome, Green River Distilling Company. Thank you, JJ Yeley, John Cohen and New York Racing Team, for making it a reality.
No matter how it turns out, just remember the Mash Bill from GRDC’s T-Shirt
100% No Regrets!
Thunder On… and Stay Safe!
David Nance