NASCAR Driver Reprimanded By FEC For Displaying Bush Sticker On Race Car...

[CatWoman]

NASCAR driver is rebuked for Bush sticker

It’s no secret that NASCAR drivers skew Republican, which is fine with the Federal Election Commission, just so long as they don’t display their preferences where anyone can see them.

In a decision announced Tuesday, the FEC sent an “admonishment letter” to Kirk Shelmerdine Racing. Kirk Shelmerdine, a former pit boss for the late Dale Earnhardt, has been an unsuccessful, underfunded and undersponsored driver. He has never finished higher than 26th.

So back in 2004, in a move perhaps designed to draw some attention to his car, he placed a “Bush-Cheney ’04” decal on his rear quarter panel, which was otherwise unencumbered by advertising. Democratic activist Sydnor Thompson complained to the FEC, and the agency found that Shelmerdine “may have made an unreported independent expenditure or a prohibited corporate expenditure.”

Former commissioner Bradley Smith dissented in one of the case’s early votes and blogged about the result this week. He has written that in reference to the FEC’s $250 expenditure limit, “evidence is strong that the market value of Shelmerdine’s rear quarter panel was approximately $0, give or take $249.”

http://www.examiner.com/a-478208~Yeas_and_Nays__Thursday__Dec__28.html

[Catherine Vincent]

1. Watch the freepers protest in support of this dude sporting his precious W sticker.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Why is it finable for him to have the sticker on his car, but not for us to have

stickers on our cars?

I'm really lost as why the FEC would care.

[Skip Intro]

5. NASCAR cars are rolling advertisiments

really, look at the cars, look at the uniforms, look at anything at a NASCAR race and you're being sold something. I'm guessing the FEC looked at this as a form of advertising for captian moron's campaign. Which is what it was, imho. Unpaid advertising would be a contribution.

That's my take, anyway.

[acmejack]

10. The Sponsors (advertisers) pay a lot money for those spaces.

At least on competitive cars, they do. Just as you say, that is exactly why they like it on TV so much, lots of eye candy. A real high commercial to event time ratio, too.

[htuttle]

6. Do crowds cheer you on and cameras follow you driving on the way to work?

If they do, good on you! But since they sell the sticker space on the cars for money, I'd assume that the FEC cares because it's giving away advertising space. It's the same difference as a commercial on TV endorsing a candidate versus you or I talking about them at the watercooler.

[peekaloo]

7. tradeoff. we get fined for speeding.

:evilgrin:

[MGKrebs]

8. I imagine they would look at the going rate for other cars,

as well as any evidence of what the team was trying to get for a similar ad, even though unsuccessfully. I would even suggest that perhaps the fact that there was no other advertising there was a good indication that they were asking substantially more than $250 for an ad. If there was any TV coverage of the race and/or the car, I would think there is a good chance the value would be significant regardless of the team's success.

[dsc]

3. In all honesty

I can't see how a car with no advertising on it due to his poor performance can have a value set on it.

[PsN2Wind]

4. 26th??

Maybe he'd do better driving a taxi from the Baghdad airport to the Green Zone.

[yellowdogmi]

9. In a former job

I sold stuff to Chip Ganassi (sp) racing. They claimed advertising space was upwards of 30 g's I think the judge needs to rethink his fine.

[Elwood P Dowd]

12. Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates hired Juan Pablo Montoya

away from F-1 for the 2007 NASCAR season. Should be interesting.

[ConsAreLiars]

11. Republican Bradley Smith just lies through his teeth. (Real pricing info)

Don't they all? There is no car running in Nascar races that is not covered in advertising, and the cost of that advertising space is millions of dollars. The bottom end category is "B or C post or lower rear quarter panels — wide range from $50,000 to $500,000 depending on level of off-track appearance and advertising guarantees." http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/3489526

(edit: Add to header)

[catnhatnh]

13. Ok- I will not support Bush-and-I don't like Shelmerdine's politics...

...HOWEVER...he first raced in Winston Cup in 1981 as an underfunded rookie....he had a long career as crew chief to a guy acknowledged as the greatest stock car driver who ever lived (and this from a #24 fan) grabbing an amazing 44 wins and 4 national titles.After Earnhardt's death, he returned to his first love-driving.It has been a Quixotic challenge by an under financed old pro in the face of super teams and teen aged driving aces....Last year he made just 3 races-but all he qualified for was on the speed of his car...if you checked the starting grids of those races you would find in each six better known drivers given provisional starts even though they didn't qualify on speed. Kirk as a lower tier driver received no provisionals. He won just over $400,000 last year-maybe enough to keep his rag-tag team together for another year...if not he can hang around the pits looking for a ride and filling in as a relief for injured driver.I don't like his politics but I really dislike denigrating him as a man....

[Divine Discontent]

14. right on.. n/t