MovieChat Forums > Days of Thunder (1990) Discussion > What's the deal with the changing sponso...

What's the deal with the changing sponsorships?

posted 9 years ago by bohdave
3 replies | jump to latest

I don't know anything about NASCAR so maybe someone can explain this to me.

So Cole starts out with the "City" car right, but after a while the owner is saying they need a sponsor soon or they're done. But isn't "City" or whatever the sponsor? So anyway they win a race and change over to the "Superflo" car. OK, fine.

Then after the crash Rowdy asks Cole to drive his car and finish well at Daytona so he can keep his sponsor and Cole agrees. But now Rowdy's car is the "Mello Yello" one and not the earlier "Exxon" one? I'm confused.

Also I should point out I'm not American so maybe I just don't know the brand names or something.

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I may be a tiny chimney-sweep but I've got an enormous brush.

[–] marlinfan1995 9 years ago

Yea the whole sponsorship stuff wasn't portrayed that well. If you really disected it it could make a little sense. Like one could argue that Cole's contract with his first sponsor (City) was just going to end and they needed another. And probably the Mello Yellow sponsor was new for the season but they would back out if the car didn't run well at Daytona. The sponsorship side of the plot could've been done better.

[–] treym9004 9 years ago

City was the dealership that the "Rick Hendrix" like character owned. He basically only had enough money for a few races and needed a major car sponsor to continue, which they did with the win at Darlington. (superflo) Nascar like all major car sports are expensive undertakings. It was common back then and still today for middle of the pack drivers to have multiple car sponsors throughout the season, hence the change of car sponsors in the movie. I agree it wasn't explained well in the movie. The movie is definitely written for someone who knows the sport. I thought it was a great movie in terms of entertainment. I think it deserves a better rating than 5.9; however I'm sure that rating is based on the fact that most who viewed the movie and reviewed it aren't Nascar fans and up on the history of the sport. I love the fact that the movie is based on actual events in Nascar's history, although definitely cherry picked. No one particular t am or driver but several. Cheers!

[–] treym9004 9 years ago

Additionally Rowdy explains to Cole during the scene with the baseball bat, that he lost his sponsor and the only to regain it for next year is for his car to have a good showing. Apparently Mellow Yello stepped in once Exxon dropped out. A majority of the cars are sponsored by companies owned by PepsiCo I just realized. Wonder what that paid for that placement...