Ralph Seagraves’ life – and NASCAR’s world – changed the moment he met
NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson.
In the late 1960s, Seagraves, an official with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company,
had been searching for a means to market cigarettes after the federal governmentbanned RJR’s products from advertising on television and radio.
Johnson, ever the entrepreneur, had an idea. How about RJR sponsor his cars?
Seagraves had a bigger idea: Why not sponsor NASCAR’s top series?
And so, in 1971, for the first time since its inception in 1949, NASCAR’s premierseries had major corporate backing. The NASCAR Winston Cup Series was born.
The partnership helped NASCAR launch into the national spotlight, and created abedrock of stability for the next three decades. RJR’s Winston brand sponsored
NASCAR’s top series for more than 30 years, ending in 2003.
Under Seagraves leadership, RJR helped a number of race track operators
refurbish their facilities, many of which were short tracks that ran developmentalNASCAR Winston Racing Series races.
He retired from R.J. Reynolds in 1986.
