The Economy Is Catching Up With NASCAR
Thursday July 17, 2008
It is no secret that the American auto industry has been struggling recently. It was just a matter of time before the auto makers' troubles affected NASCAR. General Motors recently announced an aggressive $10 billion cutback program. It should come as no surprise that some of those cost-cuts are targeted at their NASCAR spending.
NASCAR has long relied on the auto makers as staples of their sponsorship programs. If current trends continue NASCAR could be left out as sponsors look for places to cut back. What are you left with if some of NASCAR's biggest sponsors leave the sport?
Comments
It’s apparent to me that the auto racing I love is an endangered species.In this horrible economic depression,within three years or less there will be a. a reduction in the racing schedule,b. less testing and practice for teams,c. little or no factory support,d.the demise of the Truck, and/or Nationwide series,d. NASCARS dissolution. I don’t like NASCAR,they are greedy, self-serving,arrogant,and wealthy beyond words,little or none that trickles down to its former drivers and crew-members.I watch Cup races because they are the only “STOCK-CAR” game in town.
Hmmmm, maybe it is time to go back to racing the way it was 20 years ago, without the enormous budgets of today’s teams.
where does waltrip55 get the notion that we are in a horrible economic depression. Ups and down in the economy are cyclic. Most people living today have never witnessed a horrible economic depression.
We can all thank Brian France. With the advent of the Carp of Tomorrow, it’s no wonder costs are skyrocketing. It’s to the point at which the use of “Nascar” and “stock car racing” in the same sentence is an oxymoron. I’m wondering how long it’ll be before Nascar just issues the teams cars on raceday lets them do no more than slap numbers on the sides.
i think nascar should rethink its way of doing thing and go back to the days of old no gm,dodge or ford involment kick the rice burners out and lets get down to grass roots racing where one’s brain and hard work make him a winner on sat or sun,and a good driver win races.
More people than ever are losing their homes,and jobs,people are forced to decide between medicine and food,we are under constant threat of terrorism that we are not protected from by our bloated, incompetant,crooked government,and now we cant fly in an airline without wondering if we will run out of fuel or crash because the maintenance crew has lost their jobs too. Sounds like a golden age in the good ol USA. Right now,there are people ,like me at 51, who are witnessing a Depression,and will remember the year of 2008 as the year the dominoes began to fall.
And even if you dont want to see it,Toyota has been built in the states for over 30 years,they are building new facilities and jobs right now here in the US,as GM, DODGE,and FORD close plants,ship jobs out of the country,and keep the bulk of their monies in out of country banks.Check the platte books of many major US cities,you will find that many many acres are sold to Chinese,Japanese,Russian,Saudi Arabian,and Iranian consortiums and have been for years, our greed will do us in if they call in their loans.
It was just a matter of time before GM, Ford or Chrysler were going to start cutting back in their motorsports divisions. They are not the Big 3 anymore. It is a shock that Dodge has been able to stay afloat this long. If General Motors is not getting anything back in return from their sponsorships, no wonder they are going to be cutting back in the motorsports arena. The old motto was “WIN ON SUNDAY, BUY ON MONDAY.” Not anymore. Signed, a Michigan resident.
back to the old dirt tracks, like the old FlatRock speedway. Maybe those tracks will be seeling more tickets locally and the big circles will go bust. Tony Stewart had the right idea buying Eldora and see how many Nascar Sprint & Nationwide drivers are participating. What used to be the big 3 will probably become the Big One, pool their resourses and build the wonder car of the future.
Um, #9 fan ur a youngster or so old u forgot?
My parents are alive and doing fine and can tell some horrid stories of the depression they lived through!It wasnt that many yrs ago!
Times are tuff and when u have to spend your paycheck to buy fuel or let ur morgage lasp,
I would call it what it is and not sugar coat it! The Biggest problem of sponsers not getting what they paid for is the lame Chase!
I would pull every peeny on ever car that was out of it ..
BOTTOM LINE IT ISNT AND NEVER WILL BE FAIR!!
Bye the way, Dale Jr. has started a Navy Division of this race team just at the time that the Navy sponsorship is not going to sponsor his team in 2009. Is this just bad timing or is the Navy sticking it to him. It seems like an em-bare-assing moment for him. He should attempt to get a subsidiary of the Navy for his sponsor, the “Navy Seal”’s.
It’s time the top 35 to go away. . . if NASCAR wants keep teams intact and sponsors with cars the top 35 needs to go.
I’m to invest in your team and there’s a big chance the car won’t even make in the show even if it’s faster than someone else’s!?
Why don’t I just throw the money out the window of a tall office building? Makes as much sense!
Come on guys, this ain’t rocket science, plus it will make qualifying important to EVERYONE!
It would also put everyone back on a somewhat even playing field.
Make the rule! Start it at Indy!
i m thinking like ak92 and waltrip. i like the way it use to be, yes take your everyday car strap on a helmet, make sure your safety stuff is in place………and fk’n race to see who can build a race car and what manufacture has the best style and performance and of course the DRIVER.. this b.s. on tollerances of the wing, and the body can’t be this or that, what the hell this is not what NASCAR intendent it was to see who had the fastest car and best driver..NOT who can manage a fk’n team with tons of money.. money helps but when you have 4-5 cars in the show it a numbers game and you will end up with more money!!!!!!!!!! let go back to the 70 and race again. to me to many rules and regs in the game now
NASCAR is like people Ive experienced. NO EXPERIENCE, STARTED AT THE TOP AND WORKED THERE WAY DOWN ALL BY THEM SELVES.
The drivers are just like us in america.
They used to be freespirts, We used to be free spirits. A governmental body stepped in More interested in there needs than ours.
ITS TIME FOR THE TRUE BLUE AMERICANS TO TAKE BOTH BACK. AS WEVE LET BOTH GET THE WAY THAT THEY ARE.
Hey #9 if you can’t see it I feel sorry for you. You must be either a multi-millionaire or you are supported by your folks. Things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better. Nascar is going to be in a world of hurt. The races are not races they are parades. Build a couple more 1.5 mile tracks so we can fall asleep trying to watch the races. When the leaders have a 10 length lead on the first lap after a restart something is wrong. If nascar thinks they can continue to fill the stands and sell $8 beers to witness this garbage they got another thing comming.
racing is racing, if you have a car are on a track and are allowed to do the same modifications as every other car on the track whats not fair? If you cant raise enough money fire your sales people. (or your driver) if you dont make the top 35 two or more years in a row go back one class (Nationwide) and try to be competitive there
As far as Nascar goes if you want to put the pinch on them stay home and watch on TV what happens when you cant fill the stands prices go down!!! besides its the small sponsors getting suckered by nascar thae major sponsors have more money than they need anyway
let’s get realistic, you can’t go back to the way it was and you can’t get rid of Toyota. I predict Honda will be involved within the next year.
What you can (realistically) do is this. Create a board of directors, eliminate the France hold on everything. Modify the existing car to be simpler, replace carbs with FI, allow only XX set of tires per race, have Goodyear create a harder compound to reduce need for tire changes, limit pit stops, keep all the safety upgrades yet, require a real stock steel body over the tube chassis. If it is a 4 door, you must race the 4 door, not modify to look like a 2 door that does not exist. Decrease the cubic inches, run on ethanol or regular fuel. Wheelbase must match production car.
With weight up, cubic inches down and limited tire changes, racing becomes less expensive, add the fuel changes and you further reduce expenses.
Nationwide should be same car with less displacement.
Gas prices are killing every one,and it needs to be stopped or know one will have anything.I make good money but can’t afford nothing. I think government should step in and cap it.
Uh The Whole Dang Planet Is Is Deep Do Do Doesn’t Anyone GET IT!??? YET!!!!
What Is And Has Been Going ON!!!!!!! Is Going To Affect Every LAST ONE OF US!!!!
Even Brian France’s “DUMB THINKING” That Has JACKED UP NASCAR!!!! GAD IT’S ALL ABOUT GREED AND MONEY..
Hey Our American Money Costs The Government More To Print ..Then it Is WORTH!!!! If We Don’t Open Up OUR EYES SOON!!!!!!!!!
OH WELL Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn YOU ALL!!
DUH :-s
i just want to say one other on this subject of other manufactures in racing and other people from lands that own this grat nation of ours we at one time was a powerful nation,we were a proud people now we are nothing.the people that have fought in two wars and other conflicts seems to have done this for nothing because we ar selling out look at bud&miller who is next gm or ford,if you want racing look at arca they have great racing not only on super speedways but dirt and you do not see the likes of kyle busch stealing the show.
Personally I do think GM and later FORD and DODGE will stop contributing the big $$ to their racing teams. That will HURT the sport. However, INBEV will kill ALL US SPORTS. Wait and see. A/B was not for sale, but because of the previously mentioned GREED and CORRUPTION in the USA. The Busch family sold their stocks in an effort to increase profits (GREED). Now INBEV came in and took over in hostility and the Busch family cant do a thing about it. When INBEV stops funding ALL US SPORTS then ALL US SPORTS will eventually collapse. How fun will Sundays be sitting around watching WHEN HARRY MET SALLY?
OK, after reading all these post’s, all I can say is if we keep voting in the same congress & senate people all we are doing is asking for more of the same!! As for me, I will vote for anyone that isn’t already in office, the new comers can’t be any worse than what we already have & it might take a year or two before they figure out how easy we can be screwed & keep on voting for them!!!
Vote people Vote!!!!!