NASCAR
Legal Issues Force Winston Cup Museum to Shut Down
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Tucked away in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina is a shrine dedicated to NASCAR’s golden age. For 19 years, the Winston Cup Museum has helped diehard fans and newcomers alike honor and remember the pivotal growth period for stock car racing.
Originally opened by Will and Christy Spencer to help Camel City keep its racing ties, this December will mark the last time anyone will be in the museum. Ongoing legal battles with the current owners of the Winston brand have forced the Spencers to permanently shut down their museum.
The Winston Cup museum tells the story of more than three decades of NASCAR’s rise to national and global prominence under Winston branding for the Cup Series. RJ Reynolds Tobacco was a premier partner from 1971 until 2003. This timespan lasted through championships won by Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon, Stewart, and Kenseth among others. The museum’s vast collection features important pieces from each of these drivers as well as many other’s careers.
The current trademark holder for Winston cigarettes, ITG Brands, has taken the Winston Cup Museum to court over usage of trademarked brand guidelines and copyright violation. These issues came to a head after the 2023 All-Star Race. Within the fan zone at North Wilkesboro Speedway was a mobile museum selling ‘Winston’ branded merchandise. The museum was given the option to rename itself, but this alternative was too large a financial burden to overcome for the Spencers.
“History is hard to preserve and even harder to save,” Spencer said in a Facebook post Tuesday. “I am grateful I did my part for 19 years.”
“Over the past seven weeks you all have provided us with some great renaming ideas, showed your support and given us quite a few chuckles along the way with your suggestions and creativity. We are forever grateful! The name that received the most votes was ‘The Ralph Seagraves Memorial Museum,’ which we believe would be a great name and a way to honor a man who was absolutely integral to the relationship between RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company and NASCAR.
“However, after assessing the museum’s current financial condition and the significant expense required to completely rebrand the museum, we have decided to close the brick and mortar version of the museum permanently on December 16th, 2023. This is not a decision we have come to lightly, but it is the necessary end of 19 wonderful years preserving racing history. The end of the brick and mortar museum does not mean an end to preserving great racing history and stories. So stay tuned to learn more about our future plans and how we will move forward into 2024.”
The Winston Cup Museum will remain open until December 16. The checkered flag will sadly fall on the small time operation enshrining NASCAR’s prime era. Following the closure, the museum’s memorabilia and artifacts will be sold off through Mecum Auto Auctions in Florida throughout January. For roughly the next month, fans will have one final chance to pay respects to a slice of NASCAR history and an unmatched collection of cars, uniforms, helmets, signs, and other gear from a bygone era. Tragically, it appears as if the legacy of the Winston Cup Museum will go up in smoke.
Written by Peter Stratta
Please follow us on Twitter
Please follow the writer on Twitter and YouTube
Photo Credit to Peter Stratta/TSJSports
