Eating peanuts in the pits of a NASCAR race is bad luck

[snopes]

Comment: Eating peanuts in the pits of a NASCAR race are bad luck because
someone died when someone threw the shells of peanuts into a car before
the ravc and the driver crashed and died.

[Psihala]

The "no peanuts in the pits" superstition has been around since at least the 50's. One version I found in a book about 'strange but true' racing incidents had it that a mechanic was seen eating peanuts in the pits of a race (sprint cars) and was told it was bad luck. The mechanic scoffed at the notion and broke peanut shells over the hoods of two (possibly three) cars getting ready for a final heat race. All the cars that had shells broken over their hoods were in an accident and one (possibly two) of the drivers died.

The book didn't say where the story originated, but it certainly sounded like the superstition was already well established by the time the alleged incident took place. The book does list the names of the drivers involved, but I'm at work and don't have it in front of me at the moment.

~Psihala

NASCAR drivers seem to have a lot of superstitions. Peanuts, the color green, 50 dollar bills. They are a strange bunch.

[Hans Off]

There is an article on Driver superstitions in the christmas issue of Autosport which picks up on this superstition..

Originally Posted by Autosport

(Following on from a segment regarding green cars)...This barmpot belief is somehow trumped by the mumbo-jumbo that eating peanuts on raceday will result in a horrible death, because someone bearing a grudge once sprinkled peanut shells on five cars in a stock car race at Nashville in 1937. All five drivers crashed, and one of them, Howdy Cox, died. Perhaps that's why you get those 'this product may contain nuts' warnings.

Full article by Charles Bradley December 13-20 2007 Edition of Autosport.