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Florida gubernatorial candidate on the #98 at Daytona:
Given how frugal [Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate] Charlie Crist has tended to be with his campaign money, this surprised us, even knowing that adviser Steve Schale is a racing buff: His campaign is sponsoring [#98 Phil Parsons Racing] Ford in the Coke Zero 400. These sponsorships can cost as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars. "The campaign spent no money on this and the cost of wrapping the car was an in kind donation from a supporter who is a big NASCAR fan," said campaign spokesman Brendan Gilfillian. The car is owned by Mike Curb, Republican former California lieutenant governor and record company executive who surely knows Crist's long time political pal, Mitch Bainwol, the former head of the Recording Industry Association of America. The driver is John Wise.(Miami Herald)(7-1-2014)
Waltrip returns to the #66:
Two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip will be race the # 66 Royal Teak Collection Toyota in Saturday night’s 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. Waltrip enters Saturday night’s race with 2001 and 2003 victories in the Daytona 500 plus a win in the 2002 July race at the World Center of Racing. In four restrictor plate races in 2013, Waltrip posted a fourth-place finish at Talladega in May and fifth-place finish at Daytona in July. Saturday marks Waltrip’s 53rd start at Daytona and 777th career Sprint Cup start.(Identity Ventures Racing)(7-1-2014)
“Florida gubernatorial candidate [Charlie Crist] on the #98 at Daytona: . . . The driver is John Wise.”
Not a good move by the Crist camp. Wise will proably be a back marker and if he stoves up the car, it will become a camapign advt for the Scott campaign.
Although I don’t know Florida election law, I have to assume this is an independent expenditure.
Also interesting info on Mike Curb’s political background. I have never heard this mentioned in Nascar broadcasts.