Winston Cup Museum closes its doors after years of fighting lawsuits - Speedway Digest

The Winston Cup Museum, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has closed its doors to the public following multiple lawsuits. The museum was founded in 2005 as a way to preserve the history of the Winston Cup Series, which was sponsored by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for 33 years ¹. The museum housed 33 years of Winston Cup Series history, including cars driven by NASCAR legends such as Dale Earnhardt.

The lawsuits followed ITG Brands’ purchase of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for $7.1 billion in 2015. The owner of the museum, William L. Spencer, claimed that he had a storage agreement with R.J. Reynolds for physical copies and reproductions of Winston Cup images. However, ITG Brands said it believes there is “no written agreement” documenting such an arrangement between the museum or R.J. Reynolds.

Spencer fought against multiple lawsuits over the past four years, two of which were completely dismissed. However, after much contemplation, he decided that fighting with ITG was not worth the resources it would take and the toll it had taken on him and his family. The museum closed permanently on December 16, 2023 ³.