NASCAR has reportedly been denying firearm companies the ability to advertise on their programming this summer as part of a “gradual shift” in their position on guns.
“They’ve got the drivers shooting off blanks in the winner’s circle. It doesn’t make any sense,” said David Dolbee, general manager of K-Var Corp., whose company was denied an advertisement featuring multiple gun-related products, including an AK-47.
Fans told CNN that gun enthusiasts and NASCAR fans typically overlap, and now that the company appears to have denied ads with little direct explanation, many are questioning whether the stock-car racing organization still supports the Second Amendment.
The Washington Free Beacon first reported that after companies submitted their advertisements, they were told third-party advertising vendor, National Event Publications, because their ads showed “assault-style rifles/sniper rifles.”
“We just heard from NASCAR on a number of gun-related ads and unfortunately, due to a gradual shift in NASCAR’s position on guns, these ads must be edited/changed — especially those that are depicted as assault-style rifles/sniper rifles. NASCAR is still open to some of the less controversial gun accessories, concealed carry, or classes.”
“This is a colossal mistake,” Mr. Dolbee said. “Do they not understand their own base? They are a sporting organization trying to take sides on a political issue. That never goes well for any company.”
Ed Newman, a founder of firearms manufacturer Dark Storm Industries in New York, said they also received a similar rejection that seemed “like a pretty rapid and dramatic shift.”
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