Campaign Ban Hits Some NASCAR Tracks

Campaign Ban Hits Some NASCAR Tracks
By Doug Daniels

Voters should not expect to see either John McCain or Barack Obama making appearances at NASCAR events in Daytona Beach Florida, or a dozen other speedways across the country before Election Day. According to officials from the International Speedway Corporation (ISC), which owns the Daytona International Speedway, as well as major facilities in both candidates' home states of Arizona and Illinois, the company is implementing a firm policy that prohibits political candidates from campaigning in any capacity at their racing events.

Politics was informed of the policy after a credentialing request had been denied to cover an unofficial appearance in Daytona by Libertarian Party presidential nominee, Bob Barr. ISC officials explained that credentialing a political reporter would, in their view, constitute the facilitation of a campaign event, in sharp violation of their policy.

The officials declined to provide details of the policy, and offered only a vague explanation of when the policy had gone into effect. But they expressed a belief that fans attending events at their speedways are sensitive to what might be construed as intrusive political activity.

"The policy has been more formalized recently, but it's been a standing policy for some time," said Cheryl Coxwell, a lobbyist in ISC's Government Affairs department. "If you're familiar with our events, we don't typically have signs, or folks handing out campaign buttons. That type of thing is not done on our property."

But as recently as this past January, just prior to the Florida Republican presidential primary, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani campaigned at the Daytona Speedway, waving from the passenger seat of his bus, which was emblazoned with the proclamation "Florida is Rudy country" as it sped around the track to the uplifting theme music from the film "Rudy."

"While we were disappointed to learn of the ISC's recent decision to prohibit campaigning at their tracks, we still enjoyed our time as spectators and fans of the sport during our recent visit to Daytona over the July 4th weekend," said Barr Deputy Campaign Manager Shane Cory. "We didn't have a decked out campaign bus to circle the track, but that didn't slow down Bob Barr from meeting supporters and talking to folks during his time inside the track."

The genesis of NASCAR can be traced back to Daytona Beach in the late 1940's, when William France, a mechanic and race promoter developed the stock car association with several drivers, building the Daytona International Speedway. The France family has continued to remain deeply involved in NASCAR, with France's grandson, Brian France, now serving as CEO and Chairman of the association. France took over when his father, the late William France Jr., retired in 2003.

According to official Federal Election Commission records, Brian France contributed a combined $4,600 for Giuliani's primary and general election campaign efforts--the maximum amount allowed under campaign finance laws.

Last week at a press conference, France, in sharp contrast to the ISC's supposed policy, publicly encouraged both McCain and Obama to appear at NASCAR events before Election Day, and said he had formally extended invitations to their campaigns.

"We would welcome both of them at various times and places," France said. "And I anticipate seeing both of them. NASCAR has historically been a place that politicians have come to interact and get noticed by our fans and just be part of our sport. My anticipation is we'll see both of them. We'll see."

NASCAR holds races on more than 100 tracks throughout the country, many of which are not owned by ISC, and each is free to implement their own policies. In early May, Sen. Hillary Clinton, courting voters in the Indiana primary, made an Election Day campaign stop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a facility not owned by ISC but considered an enormously significant venue for the sport.

And in 2004, during the early part of George Bush's contentious reelection campaign, the President swooped in on Air Force One and made an appearance before the packed crowd at the Daytona 500 race, considered by most to be the biggest NASCAR event of the year.

Despite this recent marriage of politics and NASCAR events, Coxwell insisted the restriction will remain at their facilities.

"This is a policy that was put in place to protect our fans' experience here," she said.

When asked if her office would be willing to produce the policy in writing for Politics, Coxwell declined. "I don't think at this point that that will do either one of us any good."