A celebration of motorsport history at the New Zealand Grand Prix has landed an Australian broadcaster in hot water, raising questions about whether classic race cars should be allowed to display their original tobacco sponsorship.
A historic car race held at Highlands Motorsport Park in January, part of the annual Nextgen Championship series, came under scrutiny after Australian broadcaster Foxtel were found to have breached tobacco advertising rules.
The issue centred on a classic race car featuring its original Marlboro tobacco branding, a familiar sight in motorsport during the 1980s and 1990s.
Following a complaint about the broadcast, Australian authorities found Foxtel had breached tobacco advertising regulations. The decision surprised New Zealand race organisers, who argued the cars are simply preserving a piece of motorsport history.
NextGen Championship chief executive Josie Spillane said the controversy had come as a shock.
"It was a real surprise, we saw it on Facebook and all of this drama had been created around some advertising on one of our race cars."
Spillane said there was a clear distinction between modern tobacco advertising and historic cars competing in their original colours.
"There’s no commercial outcome, there’s no sponsors involved, there’s no product being distributed, so therefore it’s not a commercial link, so therefore it’s not advertising. It’s simply recognising history for what it is."
She described their races featuring cars as a "moving museum".
"These are cars that we have in our museums. We’re simply putting them on a racetrack."
For Tauranga historic touring car driver Andy Greenslade, the issue already had an impact.
His Ford Sierra, once raced by Australian Formula One world champion, the late Alan Jones, still carried its distinctive yellow Benson & Hedges tobacco livery from its racing days.
But when the car competed at the Supercars meeting in Christchurch, televised in Australia, Greenslade was required to alter the branding.
"I simply changed the E in Benson and the E in Hedges to A’s, so my car had Banson and Hadges on it."
He said there had even been discussion in Australia about removing the colours associated with tobacco brands, not just the names.
"On this car, for instance, it’s got red and black stripes which is part of the Benson & Hedges logo. I think that has to be removed as well, so you just end up with a yellow car."
Greenslade said he understood the need to discourage tobacco use but questioned whether changing the appearance was the answer.
"You’re erasing a lot of motorsport history," he said.
'We can't destroy what the past was'
Supercars legend Greg Murphy also weighed in, defending the place of tobacco-branded cars in historic racing.
"I feel sorry for Foxtel. They’re just broadcasting some fun motorsport which is around historic cars."
Murphy said tobacco sponsorship was once deeply embedded in the sport, and the original liveries were an important part of telling its story.
"We can’t destroy what the past was. We can’t take it away and make it disappear."
He pointed to recent celebrations marking 20 years since the death of Australian motorsport icon Peter Brock, where some of his most recognisable cars were unable to feature in televised celebrations because of their tobacco branding.
Murphy said he did not support smoking, but questioned whether seeing a historic race car carrying tobacco sponsorship would encourage anyone to take up the habit.
"Most generations wouldn’t even know what these brands are."
Could New Zealand face the same issue?
1News understands the situation is being reviewed in New Zealand to determine whether similar legal concerns could arise here, with race organisers working alongside their broadcast partners.
Spillane remains confident the controversy will not disrupt plans for their NextGen Championship series where historic cars will be racing. She said the series had featured historic cars in their original liveries for years without issue and hoped common sense would prevail.
"We’re working with people who can make the decisions to ensure that we’re not putting them in a compromise position moving forward.
"We want to celebrate the cars and the livery that they raced in when they were making history."
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