Promoter

When NASCAR’s premier series went from Grand National to Winston Cup in 1971, it ushered in a new era of professionalism and popularity. It insulated NASCAR from the inevitable ebb and flow of manufacturer support. Seagraves’ advertising, public relations and media-savvy helped make NASCAR a truly national sport at last and one that international series, like F1, began to emulate. As president of tobacco giant R. J. Reynolds’ Special Events Operations group, Seagraves was the man in charge. It was, in many ways, a marriage of convenience, if not a necessity. It came at a time when manufacturers were greatly reducing their sponsorship programs and cigarette manufacturers, in turn, found themselves no longer able to advertise their products on TV and radio. Seagraves put a Winston Cup sticker on everything that moved and painted everything that didn’t RJR’s signature red and white. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2008. His parallel introduction of Winston to the NHRA led to his induction into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1993.