Car Race Puts the Brakes on Cuban Parody Ad

Palm Beach event won't use revolutionary Che Guevara after all

Bearded Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara's days as a car race pitch man were as quick as a race car pit stop.

Guevara's image was being used to advertise the 24 Hours of LeMons car race, which sponsors began advertising as "24 Horas de Cuba del Norte" or "24 Hours of Cuba of the North" race at the Palm Beach International Raceway scheduled for December 31.

It was supposed to be sort of joke.

But some local Cuban-Americans don't think the joke's funny and aren't too happy with the promotion, according to the Palm Beach Post.

"When I saw it, I said, 'That's totally insulting,'" racing promoter Ralph Sanchez told the Post. "They don't understand the history of what this man has done."

Race officials do now, according to the Palm Beach Post.

"Palm Beach International Raceway was unaware of the race promoters' choice of title and logo for their event," Jason Rittenberry, president of Palm Beach International Raceway, wrote in a statement. "It is important to note that PBIR did not support or endorse their controversial selection. ... We have worked with the promoters to change the title and all artwork to something non-offensive to all of our fans and racers."

The race itself is a bit of a joke. Drivers deck their broken-down cars out to look like Halloween floats and struggle to keep them running for 24 hours.

Other LeMons races in the national circuit have names like "The Can't Get Bayou" in New Orleans and "The Rod Blagojevich Never-Say-Die 500" in Chicago.

The Cuba of the North race page has a picture of El Che with race goggles around his neck and a picture of the LeMons lemon logo on his trademark beret.

Sanchez has wrote a letter to LeMons' founder Jay Lamm asking them to use a different image. Lamm originally ssaid there were no plans to change it.

"If some people take offense at an icon we're using sarcastically, that's an unfortunate but natural byproduct of humor; if they don't understand that we're on the same side as they are, I can't help that," Lamm told the Post. "Being an American means that you won't get every joke, and you won't like every image. Fortunately, since this is America - not Cuba - you're free not to participate in anything you don't get or agree with."

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