The View from Here: The Business of NASCAR

Many NASCAR fans are unhappy with the current format of the Chase for a variety of reasons. Some say it favors one driver in particular, Jimmie Johnson, while others argue that there needs to be a road course included in the Chase. Regardless of the reasoning, it is clear that there is a large percentage of NASCAR fans who are disgruntled by the way NASCAR crowns its champion, and it is becoming apparent in both the television ratings and race attendance.

It can't hurt for NASCAR to listen to the outcries of its core fans. There are a number of remedies suggested to curb the angst fans feel toward the Chase, such as adding more drivers, diversifying the final ten races to include a road course, or changing the points system. Since the inception of the current Chase format in 2005, both television ratings and race attendance have plummeted. One has to ask, "Can NASCAR afford not to listen to its fans for much longer?"

And that's the view from here.

LC

Posted by at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NASCAR diversity disparity would make anyone wonder why there isn't a larger percentage of drivers that aren't Caucasian or male.
Could it be that James Brown's song "This Is a Man's World" is the breathing image of NASCAR?" According to About.com, "In 2009 there are no women competing in the Sprint Cup or Nationwide series. The Craftsman Truck Series has had a few female competitors in 2009 including Gabi Dicarlo, Michelle Theriault, Caitlin Shaw and Jennifer Jo Cobb. However none of these women have full-time ride in the series."
I believe that if there were more women drivers more women fans would be attracted. I know women will come out in droves for "girl power". However, my only question is, if there were more women drivers, could a man handle them winning? In the case of more ethnic drivers, I believe that an increase in ethnic drivers will also increase a more ethnic fan base. At some point these disparities will need to be addressed because I believe that if people are going to enjoy a sport they would like to see themselves reflected in some sort of way.
And that's the view from here.
RW

Posted by at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Many people just don't like driving in the rain, and they come up with several reasons. First of all, it is hard to see when the rain is coming down on the windshield. Second, the wet conditions of the road affect stopping and turning ability of the car. In other words, it's just not the right time to drive while it rains.
When it comes to safety, one should imagine how much worse it would be if people don't have any windshield wipers at all, or the tires had¬ no tread on them. Thus, there is no doubt why NASCAR drivers aren't reckless enough to race in the rain. Although it's true that other motor sports race in rainy and wet conditions, there are a few aspects of NASCAR racing that make it especially difficult to race in the rain. In order to fully understand why NASCAR doesn't race in the rain, we need to learn about the safety aspect when racing in the rain. Just take a look at how the tires handle in the rain and what happens to the tracks when they're wet; one can see very clearly that racing in the rain is not a good idea. Not only NASCAR tires but also any other type of tire does not respond well when driving on a wet road. Tract condition is slippery and makes it even harder when driving one or two hundred miles per hour. For NASCAR, days of planning go into just one race, the track is tested and the cars are ready.
However, when the rain comes, all of that planning is canceled. Aside from the danger involved, bad weather conditions hurt the overall competitiveness of the sport. In conclusion, NASCAR should not race in the rain for the reasons that it is too dangerous especially put NASCAR drivers' lives in danger.
And that's the view from here.
ST

Posted by at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Diversity has been on e of the biggest issues in NASCAR over the years. As in the past with people trying to be equal depending on race or gender, in NASCAR too there is a big gap of diversityl. Other sports such as basketball, football, and baseball have been making lots of changes to make the environment more diverse and the results of these efforts are outstanding because they have brought more fans to the sports.

NASCAR is usually seen as a predominately white American sport, while most other sports are trying to become more diverse. Juan Pablo Montoya, a Colombian, who is currently a NASCAR driver, has made a difference in NASCAR. He has performed well in many races and he has done a great job overall. Due to his performance in NASCAR, Juan has attracted many Spanish fans to follow and watch NASCAR. The Indy Racing League has Danica Patrick, who has broken the male dominance of the sport and has given women the opportunity to see anything is possible.

So my concern is why is NASCAR is not so diverse? Why there are no African Americans or women involved as drivers in NASCAR at the upper levels? Why can't there be a Tiger Woods in NASCAR? Why can't there be more women like Danica Patrick in NASCAR? All of these are concerns that are very important because I think that by bringing women and other races to the sport a more diverse environment can exist. The biggest result of this diversity would be a more diverse fan base in NASCAR.

And that's the view from here.

EK

Posted by at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Darren Rovell, CNBC sports business expert, asks "when does Dale Earnhardt Jr. become unmarketable?" Despite struggles on track, Dale Jr. remains No. 1 best-selling driver.

Posted by at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASCAR has instituted random drug testing for the drivers and crew members to reduce accidents. Recently there have been headlines linking drivers to drug use including Brian Rose, Aaron Fike, Sammy Potashnick and Kevin Grubb. NASCAR has done a good job of keeping its drivers and crew members drug free. This is a result of an effective drug policy. On the first offense NASCAR will pull the driver off the track, offer rehabilitation, and give the driver a second chance; however, a third chance will not be given. Shane Hmiel was suspended permanently from NASCAR in February 2006 due to failed drug tests. The policy and stance that NASCAR takes are very different from what is happening in Major League Baseball (MLB).
MLB has been plagued with allegations, scandals, and embarrassment as a result of an insufficient drug policy. The fans of MLB have been continuously disappointed over the past ten years as the players continually use steroids and cheat the game of its integrity. Not only are the players using drugs, but the league seems to be powerless to do anything to stop it. Obviously the organizational structure of the MLB is very different from NASCAR, but the MLB could learn a lot from the hard stance that NASCAR takes on drug use. NASCAR does a great job of avoiding embarrassment by dealing with drug issues up front and issuing punishments that are designed to stop drug use. As a result NASCAR is able to maintain its integrity to the sport and the fans. This hard stance on drugs can only help the sustainability of the organization and the image of the business.

And that's the view from here.

GM

Posted by at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There has been a lot of talk about the possible addition of Danica Patrick to the NASCAR circuit next year, but one has to ask does NASCAR need her?
Women make up to 35% of the viewer audience of NASCAR, higher than both the NFL and MLB. With the power of the marketing of NASCAR, would the addition of Danica help to open up some market that seems closed because it is a male-dominated sport?
Now may be the best time for Danica to move to NASCAR and help them open up to new marketing partners. With women controlling more than half of the private wealth in the US by 2010, and women being involved in over 60% of new vehicle purchases, women's purchasing power continues to grow.
With track attendance down, perhaps NASCAR needs to consider expanding its base? But can the men of NASCAR really market products that they cannot use or have no practical experience in? Revlon may not fit the model of the typical NASCAR product, but one can only imagine a potential tie-in or sponsorship with Danica. This partnership would provide a true women's only product that the women who already attend the track could get behind, but this would only work if Danica comes to NASCAR and becomes a true contender; otherwise she runs the risk of being the Anna Kournikova of motorsports.
And that's the view from here.
DS

Posted by at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A serious issue in NASCAR is the decline of ticket sales and television viewership. Everyone has their own theory, from the new cars to the economy to Digger. Digger, an animated gopher that pops up on Fox broadcasts, has taken the most flak. Digger only shows up on the turn camera; it pops up and screams when cars go by so it is not featured that often in a race. Still, many people despise it. In fact, in a USA Today article, Fox Sports Chairman David Hill stated that a NASCAR executive sent him an e-mail blaming Digger for the drop in viewers, that every time he shows up, people turn off their television sets. Hill had another reason, stating that "if Dale won, more people would watch". This statement actually makes a lot of sense.

People go to sporting events to cheer for their driver/team/ horse/player, etc. When their favorite starts doing badly, they gradually start to lose interest. Although there are always die-hard fans (such as Detroit Lions fans), there are those who will just stop watching, period. Dale Jr. has not won a race all season, and in the last race at New Hampshire on Sunday, he was doing very well and was looking at a top three finish when he hit the wall. The lackluster performance he's had the previous season, while not that bad as he did make the Chase, has really hurt his fan base. People are not going to show up if they know Jr. is going to place 12th and Kyle Busch is going to get another win. They go to see Jr. win and do well, much like how they go to see Tony Stewart be a jerk and Jeff Gordon (hopefully) hit the wall.

How can NASCAR get these viewers back? Really, there is not that much they can do unless Jr. (or whoever the driver is) starts winning or at least starts doing better. I, however, would like to think if they made Ward Burton a commentator, then ratings would skyrocket, but that's just me.

And that's the view from here.
AS

Posted by at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Just before race weekend in Richmond, Nate Ryan (USA Today) and Dustin Long (Virginian-Pilot) spoke to our Business of NASCAR class. One of the topics was whether Danica might make a switch to NASCAR from Indy Racing. Both Nate and Dustin indicated that all signs point to such a switch--but at a much slower pace than other open-wheel drivers. One scenario has Danica driving a few races (Camping World and/or Nationwide) before the Indy season begins and a few after the season ends. One of the problems with that scenario is finding a sponsor willing to put up bucks for such an approach.

Now it's announced that Mark Martin has extended his contract with Hendrick Motorsport through 2011, with GoDaddy.com as a sponsor for 20 races each season. Is it a coincidence that GoDaddy.com is also Danica's sponsor? Is this a prelude to Danica dabbling in NASCAR for a few races each of the next two seasons before moving over full-time (with Hendrick after Martin's departure)? Let's wait to see how this plays out at this season's end but I have even money that this scenario is not out of the question.

And that's the view from here.

Jon

Posted by at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In NASCAR, there seems to be two winners in the race. There is the logical winner, who is the driver that can make it across the finish line first and then there is the driver that can make the most money during a race.
The logical winner, which is the driver that comes in first, does a lot of work to make sure that he is first. These winners have to make sure their crew can work cohesively to ensure efficiency and effectiveness during all practices and races. Then they have make sure the engineers operating on their cars have done everything they can to create a lean, mean racing machine that adheres to all codes and qualifications that NASCAR officials have put into place. Along with the car and the crew, the driver himself has to make sure that he has the stamina to endure the race that he is in. When all of these things come into play, there's potential that the driver will be in 1st place at the end of the race.
Then you have the other winner of the race, who is the driver that makes the most money. This driver has to have the crew, car, and the stamina like any other driver that strives to get that 1st place slot, but there is a little bit more that occurs during the race. How this driver becomes a winner is based on different sponsorships that can be accumulated. The car and driver are essentially turned into fast-paced, moving, and sometimes breathing billboards for many companies and/or products that are available for consumer use. Each racing team and driver accumulates money from the sponsors that are on the cars and how much is received from these sponsors is relative to the location of advertisement on the car itself. The main sponsor has its advertisement in the main locations such as the hood of the car and the suit of the driver. Then you have the sponsors that are located on the front quarter panel of the car. Although the driver pays to have them placed on the car, if that particular company or product is endorsed during the race then the driver gets compensated. So essentially, the team and/or driver is making an investment to increase their wealth based on advertisements during the race.
Now the final question is this, "Which winner would you like to be?" Would you like the pleasure of personal achievement or do you want financial wealth. Now the best part of it is no one said you couldn't be BOTH winners!
And that's the view from here.
NG

Posted by at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In recent news, NASCAR reported suspending three members for substance abuse violations. This wasn't a huge shock to the public since NASCAR has adopted a random drug testing policy new for this racing season. The three employees, who were crew members, were suspended at Bristol Motor Speedway two weeks ago. These suspensions come after driver Jeremy Mayfield's suspension, which was a result of Mayfield testing positive for methamphetamines during his random drug screening at the beginning of the season. Currently, a total of ten crew members and one driver (Mayfield) have been suspended since the beginning of the testing at the start of the season.
So what does this mean for the business of NASCAR? Mayfield's suspension has been the topic of heated debate presently. NASCAR has been receiving strong opposition to its decision since this is the first time a driver has ever been submitted to random drug testing, failed, and subsequently suspended. Critics from USA Today claim "overriding suspensions would make the program not credible." Not only would the program be a failure, but NASCAR itself would be viewed as less credible as well.
In addition to a lack of credibility, Fanhouse.com reported NASCAR has been receiving enormous amounts of bad publicity from the situation just as the race season had begun. This is a huge concern with the recent decline in attendance and viewership that the business is already facing. With costs on the rise for NASCAR, buying "good" publicity will be even more costly to fix the damage these suspensions have caused.
So where do the fans come in? Will we see a shift in fan loyalty? Since we view NASCAR as a tightly knit community, it seems only right to assume that NASCAR fans want their favorite drivers to be good role models for their community and for their children, the younger fans. Will there be another decrease in attendance and viewership due to a loss of interest? Will loyal NASCAR fans not want to deal with the politics and consequences of this new drug testing policy? Or will they stand by their sport as the season progresses? It seems only time will tell, but with the race season well underway and eleven people already suspended, the future does not seem promising.

And that's the view from here.

LH

Posted by at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Jeremy Mayfield, Jeremy Mayfield, Jeremy Mayfield! That's all we've heard in the sports news world for a good while. On May 9, 2009, Jeremy Mayfield tested positive for methamphetamines and the battle began.

Almost every week you've got steroids in MLB or something mind-blowing in the NFL; however, there are not too many times that you will catch any of these things happening in NASCAR. Of course, it's almost inevitable not to have ANY bad press. It began with Mayfield testing positive on May 9. He was suspended eight days later. He then sued NASCAR and a judge issued an injunction that released him from being suspended. He returned to racing and on July 6 he tested positive for meth again. His stepmother had also signed a statement saying that she'd personally seen him doing these drugs at least 30 times.

Mayfield has fired back at NASCAR. He has implied that some of NASCAR's employees are on drugs and accusing his stepmother of killing his father. He filed a wrongful death suit against his stepmother claiming that she was just a gold digger and his father's death was not a suicide.

NASCAR has one of the strictest and broadest drug-testing policies in America. This may be the reason we don't usually see negative press about NASCAR. Somehow Jeremy Mayfield keeps finding ways to make the news and give NASCAR's positive image a run for its money. And that's the view from here. BA

Posted by at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am too young to remember the good old days where NASCAR was filled with bright drivers who had even brighter personalities such as Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty. These drivers’ personalities, loud voices, and rivalries brought so many fans into the sport and helped build NASCAR into what it is today. Today Richard Petty is still ever present in the sport and Darrell Waltrip is in the broadcast booth running his mouth just as fast as he ever ran his car on the track. Instead of growing up during this past era, I grew up watching today’s NASCAR, where listening to the drivers speak is about as much fun as listening to nails scratching across a chalkboard. Today’s drivers are discouraged from publicly discussing their opinions, engaging in heated rivalries, or saying or doing anything that might not appease NASCAR or a corporate sponsor. Do any of us really think that drivers such as Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin are boring people with no color or flair? I certainly don’t. I believe that NASCAR, the France family, and the influence of corporate sponsors have turned the drivers into talking bobble heads.

After this past Sunday’s race, I had to listen to Carl Edwards thank “all of the good people” at Office Depot and Ford before he gave an honest, yet very brief response towards his feelings about his second place chase standing. I understand that sponsorship dollars are what drive the business of NASCAR; however, when the drivers are forced to plug the sponsor in every interview to the point of ad nauseam, it simply becomes too much for me. This brief interview with Carl Edwards lasted about thirty seconds. The first fifteen seconds were solely devoted to Edwards plugging his sponsors, leaving the other half to actually talking racing. I believe that the great power that corporate sponsors have in the sport will prevent interviews like this one from ceasing anytime soon. I find this unfortunate and believe that interviews like these tend to dehumanize the driver. Instead of being viewed as opinionated human beings, they are viewed as corporate figureheads.

However, NASCAR can and should relax its policies to let drivers speak their minds regardless of whether they are being critical of NASCAR. When an opinionated driver like Tony Stewart complains about the quality of Goodyear tires, or when Kyle Busch has a gripe about the car of tomorrow (car of today), I believe NASCAR should not punish them. Instead the France family and the other powers that be in NASCAR should listen to them. NASCAR is not a perfectly run organization, and the fans know this. However, the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL are also not perfectly run organizations. The difference is that these other professional sports leagues, especially the NBA, listen to their athletes in an order to improve their league and sport. As a fan of all of these sports, I am accepting that nothing is perfect. NASCAR needs to stop unsuccessfully trying to portray an image of perfection to their fans and start viewing their drivers as valuable resources who can help improve the organization and the sport of auto racing. The powers that be need to understand that when a driver like Tony Stewart voices a controversial opinion, he does so because he cares about the sport and is trying to improve it. And that’s the view from here. SP

Last but certainly not least, NASCAR needs to embrace the rivalries between their drivers. The fierce competition between Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch that was displayed both on and off the track this season has been highly entertaining. Instead of telling drivers to work out their issues, NASCAR should take a page from the NBA. The NBA capitalized on the Shaq and Kobe feud and turned it into a soap opera. I know that I’m not the only person who remembers the high drama of the Bad Boys of the Detroit Pistons roughing up Michael Jordan during the late 80’s and early 90’s. If NASCAR would let rivalries like the one between Edwards and Busch mature, I believe they could capitalize on them to and draw greater television ratings. I beg of you NASCAR, to please let the drivers show their personalities.
And that’s the view from here.

SWP

Posted by at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In an October 1 Jeremy Dunn article titled Red Bull Racing releases A.J. Allmendinger, NASCAR proves once again how brutal and short lived the life of a Sprint Cup driver really is. It was announced that Scott Speed and Mike Skinner would replace Allmendinger for the rest of the season. Unfortunately for Allmendinger he was just starting to show progress in his sophomore year in the stock car series although he had barely any previous experience. Just a rookie last year he missed 19 of the 36 races. But can Red Bull and NASCAR really be so hard on him. What can really be expected of a rookie driver climbing into a brand new car with a rookie team in support of a new manufacturer? Is he supposed to be making a run for the Cup in his first season? After being replaced by Mike Skinner at the beginning of the season, Allmendinger returned to the seat of the Red Bull Toyota and began to show a great deal of progress. Red Bull, making another glorious move, decided to put Formula One Star Scott Speed in the 84 Toyota in 2009. Allmendinger, a young driver showing a great deal of promise in only his second year, now has his future up in the air and Red Bull is banking on an untested Formula One Star.

NASCAR Sprint Cup owners rush drivers into the biggest stock car series in the world. With the lights, the cameras, millions of fans, and most of all pressure, is it really fair to say new drivers might take a few years to get the hang of this thing. Drivers are released and left out to dry when they don’t become instant super stars or something more appealing comes along. This is not the first time this scenario has happened and most certainly won’t be the last. In 2001, Ray Evernham’s young star, Casey Atwood, struggled through most of his rookies season and just like Allmendinger began to show a great deal of improvement towards the end of the season. Atwood won a pole and led laps at Phoenix and a week later almost won at Homestead. Unfortunately it was again not enough and Evernham replaced him with veteran Jeremy Mayfield.

We will see what the future holds for Allmendinger as well as Scott Speed. And that’s the view from here.
TEH

Posted by at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Scary times are ahead as the US dollar declines and the economy goes with it. Almost all businesses are feeling the pain of the economy going into arrest, and NASCAR is a business that is no different. Retail markets are drying up, and in response, big businesses that double as race sponsors are starting to tighten their belts to insulate their assets. On the NASCAR circuit, the drivers and their teams are the ones feeling the impact as sponsors cut back heavily on their usual spending and advertising.
NASCAR may be in trouble as its main source of income, seventy-five percent of its budget, comes from sponsorship dollars. Compared to even this time last year, large companies that are regulars in the NASCAR world have considered cut backs if not already cutting their spending. Current NASCAR stakeholders worry that the near future may bring widespread layoffs throughout its business structure, and even fielding all 43 cars may become an issue. Drivers are implementing split sponsorships to cope with the changing times and to pay their incurred expenses. “Tip to tail” sponsorship is becoming a thing of the past as most cars that race now are littered with logos from several sponsors, and almost all space on the cars are prime sales for advertisers. Even popular drivers such as Tony Stewart are having trouble finding funding, not just for themselves, but for their teammates.
Drivers are also acquiring sponsors for only a certain number of races per season, instead of the entire season, and are now becoming pressured to constantly find cash investors. The hardest hit are those who are independent car owners that solely depend on sponsorship.
Smaller sponsors are now starting to join NASCAR, and are creating a new stream of revenue that is helping relieve financial plight. But if most of the original larger investors pull out, will these new investors be enough to support the NASCAR business? Outside of NASCAR, how are other motorsports being affected by weakening economies?
Recently the Canadian Grand Prix has been dropped from the 2009 schedule, cancelling all races in North America, and the French Grand Prix has been cancelled as well. It is not only the US that is struggling at this current time; rather, declining economies, increased operating cost and reduced sponsorship are hurting NASCAR and even greater, motorsports as a whole.
And that’s the view from here.
CJ

Posted by at 5:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

NASCAR officials introduced a new drug test policy that will begin on January 1, 2009. Drug testing will be conducted by AEIGIS Sciences Corporation beginning with all drivers at races in January. Random testing will include drivers, crewmembers, and NASCAR officials. NASCAR is declaring the right to test for any drug, from prescription medicines to steroids.

Overall, the policy is more in line with those of other sports. However, the new policy does not include a specific list of banned substances. Is this new policy going to be too broad? Some feel as though this policy opens the door for legal problems and that it can give somebody a pass to something.

Steve O’Donnell stated that he wants to keep the policy broad because it allows NASCAR to test for abuse of all substances. Most sports have lists of banned drugs because they focus on preventing illegal and performance enhancing drugs. NASCAR wants to leave it more open-ended because it knows that NASCAR has large safety issues. Something that may be legal in other sports could be harmful when racing. As Kyle Petty stated, “Look, a drug is a drug is a drug. This is not shooting hoops; this is not hitting a fastball. This is life and death. In a sport like this, everything should be off limits unless there is a medical reason.”

Three failed tests will result in an automatic lifetime ban from the sport and the governing body also reserves judgment to impose a lifetime ban after one failed test. Drivers must notify NASCAR when they are taking a prescribed medicine before they are tested. The drivers agree with NASCAR and feel as though there should be a tougher testing program and are happy to know that it will be applied throughout the entire sport. NASCAR has always been perceived as a clean sport, and this is its way of backing it up.

I feel that it is important that NASCAR is introducing a new policy. This is one step closer for NASCAR to be like the other major sports that have strict drug policies. Even though NASCAR is already perceived as a clean sport, it is important that the organization is able to back it up with results to prove it. Also, it is probably a good thing that the list isn’t specific because it would probably have to be constantly changed. This way will know that all drugs are banned because no drug is safe. Drivers shouldn’t have to worry about if the other drivers or crewmembers are on a drug or not. This is NASCAR’s way of making sure that the drivers are always safe. If you don’t play by NASCAR’s rules, then you don’t play at all.

And that’s the view from here.

MG

Posted by at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When I think of diversity in NASCAR, three primary topics come to mind: age, race, and gender (in that order). Since the fundamental idea behind the business of NASCAR is to make money, team owners are looking to recruit younger drivers each day. The older drivers are beginning to phase out, while the owners are looking for long-term investments.

Joe Gibbs Racing is the easiest target right now; they just signed 18-year-old Joey Lagano to a long-term contract reportedly up to 5 years, an added bonus to the normal 3-year contract. An 18-year-old signs a very lucrative sports contract, sounds like I have heard of this before. NASCAR seems to be more like other sports than many people give them credit.

Do we really know how much this kid has to offer? There is the question of experience: is he ready to move up the ranks of racing? Well, Joe Gibbs answered that question by replacing Tony Stewart. Being a Hall of Fame NFL Football coach and accomplished “investor”, what does he have left to do but find ways to make more money? Many people think Lagano has the talent, and we will soon find out whether that holds true.

Age, then what? Ah, Joe Gibbs Racing is also working with 18-year-old African-American Marc Davis as a developmental driver. He already made his truck debut with Randy Moss Racing this past month and will be making his Nationwide Series debut on October 25 in Memphis, TN. This situation embodies the diversity of age and race, implying that Gibbs is looking for all young talent.

As far as gender goes, female drivers date back to 1949 with Sara Christian, the year after NASCAR was formed. Most recently the names Patty Moise, Shawna Robinson, and Danica Patrick have been in the mix. It is obvious that female drivers have made appearances on the circuit, but were not able to make a successful run in the NASCAR world. The looming question is whether women can compete with men in this business.

What will be the next minority group to take a shot at NASCAR?

And that’s my view from here.

PM

Posted by at 4:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The statement that NASCAR does not glean international attention may no longer be true. About ten years ago NASCAR tried exhibition races at Twin Ring Motegei and Suzuka Japan with little success. Fast forward ten years and NASCAR now has points-paying races for the Nationwide Series in Montreal, Canada and formerly Mexico City, Mexico. True, these sites are still in the Western Hemisphere and just north and south of the United States, but it is a start.
If you take a look at the drivers, many of their backgrounds are much different than the drivers of a few years ago. Sponsors have changed as well. The sport has moved from Winston and Goodwrench to M&M’s and Red Bull energy drinks. This is where the future of NASCAR lies.
Team Red Bull Racing is a new form of NASCAR team in the series. This team is not owned by a single owner or small group; it is owned by Red Bull. This is new to the sport because never before has a sponsor owned the whole team. From top to bottom, executives at Red Bull Racing make the personnel decisions, which brings us to the topic of Scott Speed.
Speed broke into the world of big-time racing when he got a ride with the Red Bull Formula One team after winning a driver-talent competition put on by Red Bull. After a couple of poor seasons in Formula One, Red Bull dropped Speed and put him in the stock car ranks. He came up through the ARCA ranks and is now poised to take the seat vacated by A.J. Allmendinger on the Sprint Cup Series team.
The interesting thing about this driver switch is that the decision was not made by the NASCAR team; it was made by Red Bull executives in Austria, the company’s home country. In my opinion, I believe this is what is on the horizon for NASCAR: powerful international companies owning teams from top to bottom and making driver changes in the board room far away from the race shops.
With Scott Speed on the scene, even though he is an American, Red Bull and companies like it may look to buy into NASCAR along with international drivers to make a statement in an American sport. The money is definitely there and the coverage is plentiful, enough to pull the likes of Jacques Villeneuve, Dario Franchitti and Juan Montoya over. Maybe in ten years the next Justin Wilson will be in a Vodafone Chevy and not a McLaren.
And that’s the view from here.
AT

Posted by at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Luck! The word itself is not that impressive, but in NASCAR it can make or break a driver. Luck is defined by dictionary.com as a series of events which affect one’s interest or happiness regarded as occurring by chance. It is a mystical force that can bring about a winning streak or instantly throw you to the bottom of the elite twelve when it runs out (sorry, Kyle Busch.).
Every sport has its superstitions regarding luck. Basketball players dribble the ball before a free throw for good luck. Bowlers won’t change their clothes when they are on a winning streak. Bull riders always put their right foot in the stirrup first. That is probably the reason that sportscasters and sportswriters alike focus so much on a driver’s “luck”.
Please don’t get me wrong. NASCAR has many factors that contribute to a win each week. You have to have a good team, you have to have a good car, you have to have a good driver and you have to have an incredible pit crew. But, if all of those other factors are in place, and you are still not winning then it is time to break out the rabbit’s foot. Greg Biffle fans have certainly been rubbing theirs.
And for all those fans out there supporting drivers like Junior and Hard luck Hamlin, keep the faith, keep rubbing the rabbit’s foot, and start searching the fields for four leaf clovers. Their luck is bound to improve (at some point).
And that’s the view from here.
DH

Posted by at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now that the chase has “officially” begun, fans like me can’t take their eyes off of the battle between top drivers such as Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch (and quietly Jimmie Johnson). The competitive battle, all year long, between Edwards and Busch has given the Chase an added reason to watch the races. This competition is slowly becoming a great battle between the two, and hopefully will be for years to come. Although it’s not an “Ali versus Frazier” battle, who’s to say it isn’t as big as some NFL head-to-head battles?

And while the head-to-head battle adds fuel to the fire, let’s not forget Jimmie Johnson quietly making his way to another championship.
And that’s my view from here. AD

Posted by at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yeah. I’ll say it…I like Kyle Busch. So if you want to throw something at me, then throw M&M’s (like them too!)

So while playoff season for both the top spot and the 35th spot (money even back there) has begun, it has not begun well for some. NASCAR has to hope that ‘bad boys’ (hmm…who can that be?) stay competitive as it gives the fans a bit more ‘spark’ regarding interest levels.

While Dover will most likely be a ‘chew-em-up’ race , NH showed me a bit more about risk and how much a team has accounted for the same in their ‘strategies’.(After all it’s what I teach).

So I would like to ask the reader—who rolled the dice and who has the best strategy for winning the ‘chase’ (or and spot # 35 as well)?

Remember, it isn’t over until...well at least until someone sings.

And what’s up in Argentina?

That’s the (calculated) view from here.

Mike

Posted by at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I’ve been struck by some events recently that speak to the concept of “loyalty”. Now, loyalty is defined in part as “faithfulness to commitment” and in this political year, various candidates’ loyalty to party, principle, or country will be repeatedly attacked. Yet, in NASCAR we’ve witnessed what “loyalty” is about. Let me explain my thesis.

Tony Stewart decided, and in part I agree with his decision, to leave the owner and team that gave him the opportunity to be the driver in NASCAR that he is. He had an opportunity to “go on his own” (and I predicted he would) because of the opportunity. Violation of “loyalty”? Not hardly. And Tony asked Ryan Newman to join him, which he did. Violation of “loyalty”? Again, not guilty. Both had opportunities to “move on” (as we’re so fond of saying.)

Now comes my point—Joe Gibbs Racing showed its loyalty and commitment to an 18-year old (Joey Logano, in case you haven’t been following). Joe Gibbs is probably one of, if not the most, upstanding owner in NASCAR circles. His willingness to take on, first, Denny Hamlin (not a really proven entity) and then Kyle Busch (with his baggage) and turning them both into winners shows how smart he is. And he’ll continue to support them—spell that “l-o-y-a-l-t-y” as they continue to develop.

And add Greg Zipadelli to that list of loyalists! He didn’t run off with Tony but stayed with JGR and Logano. He even believes that Joey has a chance to make the Chase next year—and his efforts will reflect his loyalty to Logano and JGR!

And finally, congratulations to Home Depot for hanging in with JGR during this uncertain change in drivers. Frank Bifulco, senior VP for HD, indicated that there was serious discussion about whether to go with Joey, but in the long run Home Depot showed its “loyalty” to Joe Gibbs Racing by accepting JGR’s decision to put Joey in the #20. “Loyalty”—in sports it seems that that term is spelled in dollars most of the time. This week we found out what it really means. And given the political times, I certainly wish some politicians would reflect on that word.

And that’s the view from here.

Jon

Posted by at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Subject: Jeopardy Television Show

Answer: "Kurt Busch"

Question: "Whatever Happened To?"

And that's my view from here





Mike

Posted by at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We’ve been on vacation so I’ve been a little neglectful about writing. But the last couple of days I’ve been thinking about Tony Stewart’s dilemma — you know, whether to stay with a winning team (think, two Sprint Cup Championships) or buy into a second-tier (hey, we all know that) team. What I’ve been thinking about is how I made my decision to stay or leave my position as chair of the Department of Management back in 1992 — I made a list of pros and cons (and, in my case, the “cons” won out).

So here goes:

Pros: He’s part-owner and has some say in the operations. Hendrick makes the engines. He’s back driving Chevys. He’s part-owner and has some say……got the idea?

Cons: He leaves a team that gave him his start and supported his two championship runs. He leaves a team that has, arguably, one of the most honest, straightforward owners in racing and one who has defended Tony on many occasions. He leaves a team that probably has the greatest potential in the coming years as any team currently running — Kyle, Denny, and most likely Joey — and he can be the “poppa” figure directing their climb to fame. He’s part of a stable that has the top running racer in the Sprint series — and that can mean continued sources of shared information.

Now the business part — which is the real essence of Tony’s decision. He’s buying into a second- to third-tier team (sorry, but when have they been consistent winners?). Who has the seven post shaker rig? Where’s the wind tunnel time? And, most importantly, how much R&D money will trickle down to Tony’s team given the economic times and Motor City’s need to ration its resources when it comes to NASCAR teams (remember Hendrick and Childress?)?

Geez, don’t you think Gillett/Evernham is worried? And Ganassi with his Reed “here’s your pink slip” Sorenson, Dario “this looked easy” Franchitti, and Juan “I’m looking at an oval win” Montoya isn’t real sure about Chrysler. Even Toyota announced that it’s revising its sales goals for 2009, in light of economic conditions, so what’s that say about its involvement?

Tony’s no novice when it comes to business. But, really, is this the time for Tony to “go on his own?" I certainly don’t know — but again, that’s the view from here.

Jon

P.S.: If I were a betting man (and I’ve played the lottery so that tells you something about why I seldom bet!), I’d put my money on Tony leaving JGR. Why, even though I make a pretty solid argument for staying? Because Tony is his “own man” — Tony believes what he wants, says what he wants, and does what he wants — and I think he wants to show everyone that he can DO what he wants.

Posted by at 9:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to some texts, "Kyle" as a name has roots in old Scotland and can mean "fair and handsome". So while many boo birds have difficulty warming to Mr.Busch, we do know that he is certainly adding a fair and handsome amount of value to not only himself, but to his owners, and sponsors.

If others aren't careful this could be a runaway year for M&M's. After all "Dale" means valley and well, what does "Kasey" mean?

That's the (abbreviated) View from Here

Michael

Posted by at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I think I can answer Jon's below 'can he sell ' question regarding Kyle Busch, who has been accumulating both victories and boos in impressive quantities. YES, he can. Apparently people are beginning to warm up to him (winning helps). See this May 7 article from Dustin Long, who covers NASCAR for the Roanoke Times, the Virginian-Pilot and the Greensboro News & Record. The relevant portion is below.

THE FAVORITE BUSCH

Fans might boo Kyle Busch, but somebody is buying his merchandise.
Mark Dyer, president and CEO of Motorsports Authentics, said Busch merchandise has seen among the biggest increases in sales from last year.
Part of that, no doubt, relates to M&M's, which is Busch's sponsor. The candy product is a popular souvenir item.
Busch is in the top 10 among drivers but hasn't cracked the top five, which typically includes Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson.
Said Dyer of Busch: "He's captured the imagination of a lot of fans with his aggressive style and winning races. He's been way up this year. It's been exciting to see."

Also note that this is even more interesting when considering that Mars, Inc., owns numerous brands that also appear on his (and others) car such as Pedigree, Snickers, etc. He also is linked with Pedigree in a campaign. I have pasted most of it below:

"From May 1, 2008 through October 15, 2008, NASCAR fans and dog lovers can log onto http://www.Dogsrule.com to make a monetary pledge to sponsor miles* of any of Busch's Sprint Cup races during that window; a roster which will sport 25 races and more than 10,000 miles. Donations from pledges will directly benefit The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides funding to 501(c)(3) status animal shelters and breed rescues nationwide. Kyle kicked off the program from Richmond, Va., where he raced the No. 18 PEDIGREE(R) Toyota for the first time during the Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400.

"As the owner of two dogs I know how happy they can make you, so to me it's really sad that each year four million dogs end up in animal shelters and breed rescue organizations and two million never make it out," said Busch. "Kyle's Miles hopes to raise money and awareness for the dogs that are so often overlooked and I'm excited to be able to do my part to help."
As an added incentive to the "Kyle's Miles" program, anyone who sponsors miles* is automatically entered into a sweepstakes to win a trip for two to Phoenix in November to meet Busch and attend the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 9, 2008. Those who'd like to enter the sweepstakes but not sponsor Kyle's Miles can also do so at http://www.Dogsrule.com .
The PEDIGREE(R) Adoption Drive
The fourth annual PEDIGREE(R) Adoption Drive launched in February 2008, with a goal to raise more than one million dollars for The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive Foundation. Because of their love for dogs, PEDIGREE(R) Food for Dogs created The PEDIGREE(R) Adoption Drive to help shine a spotlight on the plight of homeless dogs. Through no fault of their own, more than four million dogs end up in shelters every year. Sadly, nearly half of those canines never find a place to call home, a trend that the PEDIGREE(R) Brand and Busch hope to help reverse.
In addition to making a donation to "Kyle's Miles," there are several easy ways NASCAR fans can take part in The PEDIGREE(R) Adoption Drive all year long that help benefit the foundation:
-- If you're a dog owner, you can purchase PEDIGREE(R) products. Donations from product sales will benefit the foundation.** -- Visit Dogsrule.com to browse Dogs rule.(R) gear, a line of merchandise and apparel for dog lovers. Proceeds after expenses from the sale of all Dogs rule.(R) items benefit The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive Foundation. -- Additionally, those who adopt a dog from a local shelter or breed rescue anytime during 2008 are eligible for a FREE, one-month supply of food as a thank you from PEDIGREE(R) Brand."

Finally, two other points.

1.Mars, Inc., has announced it is buying Wrigley's for 23 billion.Think about who (JPM) drives the Juicy Fruit car (he finished second at Talledega). So now Mars will have a wider assortment of promo opportunities.

2.Since Mars' fiscal year ended in December 07, I know that their 2007 sales were up a whopping 19% to 25 Billion.

Nothing to 'snicker' at .....

Sorry, just couldn't resist.

Mike

Posted by at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A couple of weeks ago, Brian Tarcy (“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to NASCAR” and the blog “Free Cheezeburgerz”—at the right) sent me an e-mail in which he posed a very interesting question: Since fans don’t seem to like Kyle Busch very much, how has the sales of M&Ms been doing since that Kyle’s primary sponsor? Brian suggested that perhaps the popularity—or lack thereof—might have a serious effect on the sales of the sponsors’ products? I tried to find some financial data but am still looking for any impact on M&M sales (I’ll get my colleague Mike to research that topic—it’s up his alley).

In any case, the fairly phenomenal success of Kyle in all three series would suggest that Masterfoods is very happy with its primary sponsorship. We all know that Dale Jr.’s sponsor didn’t sign on because it likes the number “88” but because Jr. has such a great following. And we can, no doubt, find many such instances.

But still it begs the question: Does the unpopularity of a driver—regardless of his (her) success—have a negative effect on his (her) sponsor? Or, even more so, does the make of race car have a negative effect? For instance, when JGR announced it was switching from Chevy to “ota”, many fans indicated their displeasure and even suggested they’d stop rooting for Tony.

So, is there a problem for a sponsor if the driver simply turns off fans? Mr. Tarcy raises an excellent question—and one I intend to keep an eye on.

So, that’s the view from here.

Jon

Posted by at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the recent revelation by Aaron Fike that he had used heroin while competing in a Craftsman Truck Series race, many NASCAR drivers are coming forward requesting NASCAR take a more proactive stance on random drug testing. However, NASCAR’s upper management believes that the current policy is “working” (my quotation marks). NASCAR feels that the tiered approach to drug testing — owners and teams doing their own random testing — allows NASCAR to continue its policy of testing only for “reasonable suspicion”.

Now, I’m not one in the “know”, but it appears to me that NASCAR believes “reasonable suspicion” exists for every team when it comes to setting up their car, using illegal parts, etc. How else can NASCAR explain its extremely invasive inspections prior to qualifying and immediately after a race? There must be some reason, other than “reasonable suspicion”, for these inspections. Right? It’s because NASCAR knows how much teams “stretch” the rules. If NASCAR assumes the stretching of rules because it finds such things happening, shouldn’t NASCAR assume drug abuse by drivers or pit crew members in light of the fairly well-known incidents over the past couple of years with substance abuse by drivers?

The real issue for me isn’t whether a driver is “high” when on the track. The issue is the safety of the other drivers given how quickly accidents can happen at 180 mph. Heaven forbid that an accident occurs and it’s found later than one of those involved was “using” and no one in NASCAR had “reasonable suspicion”.

That’s the view from here.

Jon

Posted by at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Time to spin off Joe Menzer’s (NASCAR.com) March 18 column in which he discusses “five things we’ve learned from the first five races”. My approach is “five questions we have after the first five races.”

Q1: It wasn’t a case of “if” Toyota would win — it was a case of “when”! And right out of the box we saw that Toyota could win. Here’s the question, though: Okay, we know JGR is the hot spot for Toyota but will any other Toyota team win a Sprint Cup race this year? And, for a related question, will any other Ford team win a race other than a Roush team?

Q2: Why can Mike Skinner make a race on speed while A.J. Allmendinger driving the same car (#84) can’t? Wait a minute — if you look at the three races in which drivers qualified on speed (or raced in for the Daytona 500), AJ was faster than several other cars but wasn’t in the top 35 in points from last year so he went home early! The real question? — When is NASCAR going to scrap an antiquated “franchising” qualifying system?

Q3: This one’s philosophical: Why did Roger Penske seem to feel that the only way Sam Hornish, Jr. would make the first five races was to give him Kurt Busch’s points from last year while Kyle Petty didn’t seem to feel he needed to take Bobby Labonte’s points in order to keep racing after this year’s fifth race? Remember, Kyle’s sitting in the 40th position while Hornish has blown the early points position and presently sits in the 35th position.

Q4: This one has no answer! How can the penalty system be fixed so that situations where one driver walks away without a “hit” while a second (or third or fourth) gets “hit” for the same infraction? Count them up — only through five races and the cash register drawer for penalties is already about full!

Q5: Okay — this will steam some fans: Is Earnhardt Jr. for real or are #24 and #48 sandbagging? On a related note, where are the Chip Ganassi Racing drivers?

What have you learned from the first five races?

These are my views from here.

Jon

Posted by at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Although I’m tempted to talk about how to spell “team” with an “I”, I’ll let that go.

Instead I’d like to share some interesting and relevant information about an upcoming national competition — even more relevant given Ryan Newman’s engineering background.

FIRST Robotics is an annual competition for high school kids around the country. We at VCU, most notably our School of Engineering, have hosted the NASA/VCU regional event for the past eight years. This year’s competition, March 6-8, will include high school teams from Virginia, DC, five other states, and Canada and highlights a new themed challenge — “Overdrive,” featuring a checkered-flag logo.

Competition is rough and tumble. In fact, the “pit” area where teams work on their robots mirrors a NASCAR pit — each student/pit crew member has a specific responsibility as he or she develops the robots. The competition is timed, and ultimately the teams’ robots will compete head-to-head in robot strategy, design, and fabrication. The event represents the culmination of six weeks of intense design and construction activity by students and their professional mentors.

FIRST was founded in 1980 by inventor Dean Kamen, who is best known as the inventor of the Segway, and is a nonprofit organization. Robots and teams are made possible through their sponsorship donations, with logos proudly displayed on the robots and students (for example, uniforms).

It would have been great to have Ryan in attendance, given his engineering background. Nevertheless, since this is a nationwide competition, check out your immediate area for this exciting competition. Details can be found at http://www.usfirst.org/. A video about the competition is here.

If NASCAR is looking for diversity, here’s a great place to start!

Jon

Posted by at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As we approach the start of a historic race, here is the full list of the 10 greatest to ever drive at Daytona.

(To review: the results are based on statistics – not a subjective approach to the term “greatest.” The top 10 is based on a statistic of wins per miles raced at Daytona in all “money” races, such as qualifiers, the Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400. For instance, 12,000 laps with 3 wins amounts to 1 win per 4,000 miles raced.)

10. Jimmie Johnson (5117.5 miles : 1 win total)

9. Dale Jarrett (1 win every 4166.88 miles / 4 wins total)

8. Jamie McMurray (1 win every 3770 miles / 1 win total)

7. Tony Stewart (1 win every 3473.75 miles / 2 wins total)

6. Dale Earnhardt,Jr. (1 win every 3416.25 miles / 2 wins total)

5. Bobby Allison (1 win every 2955.83 miles / 6 wins total)

4. Richard Petty (1 win every 2354.25 miles / 10 wins total)

3. David Pearson (1 win every 2184.38 miles / 8 wins total)

2. Jeff Gordon (1 win every 2103.75 miles / 6 wins total)

And finally the all-time king (sorry Richard) of Daytona is:

1.Cale Yarborough (1 win every 1745.55 miles / 9 wins total)

Now, let's go racing ...

-- Mike

Posted by at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Continuing the examination of our “NASCAR’s Wish List for 2008, we explain wishes 5 through 7, keeping in mind the “business” emphasis of the wishes. (Details on 8-10 are here.)

#7: Everyone loves the COT: The Car of Tomorrow is certainly now the Car of Today, at least in the Sprint Cup series. Tests at various locations last week showed that times were fairly comparable to those of the former cars. Most drivers had kind words for the COT as well. If success and happy drivers come out of Daytona, NASCAR’s efforts to create a safer car while minimizing team costs will be an overwhelming success. The fear of IROC style racing will be dissipated, and the fans can turn their attention back to racing and not controversy. It’s a win-win-win for NASCAR, teams and fans.

#6: One of the open-wheel drivers – preferably Montoya – makes the Chase: What better way to show the world that NASCAR racing is truly the best racing than to have an open-wheeler make the Chase. The new arrivals are adding to the diversity of the sport (at least “international diversity”) and can only help to entice open wheel fans to the NASCAR scene. That translates to fuller grandstands and larger TV audiences. And that makes NASCAR happy.

#5: An end to bickering over the 35 rule: We all know the 35 rule was instituted to ensure that major sponsors — doling out lots of change from their pockets — would have representation each week of racing. Despite the many calls — and there have been many calls from a variety of sectors — NASCAR isn’t about the scrap the rule. It’s still about the business of NASCAR, and ensuring happy sponsors is a primary goal. So, let’s get over it and go back to racing.

Remaining four wishes next week.

Can’t wait for Saturday—it’s been a long winter!

Jon

Posted by at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The greatest to ever drive at Daytona. Last week, I put Jimmie Johnson in the No. 10 slot.

(To review: the results are based on statistics – not a subjective approach to the term “greatest.” The top 10 is based on a statistic of wins per miles raced at Daytona in all “money” races, such as qualifiers, the Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400. For instance, 12,000 laps with 3 wins amounts to 1 win per 4,000 miles raced.)

Position number nine belongs to:
9. Dale Jarrett (1 win every 4166.88 miles / 4 wins total)

Position number eight belongs to:
8. Jamie McMurray (1 win every 3770 miles / 1 win total)

Position number seven belongs to:
7. Tony Stewart (1 win every 3473.75 miles / 2 wins total)

Posted by at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Earlier, I asked for a list of the five “greatest” drivers ever to race at Daytona. I also noted that I would count the list down as we approach the race itself. But I am expanding the list to also include positions 6-10.

The results are based on statistics – not a subjective approach to the term “greatest.” The top 10 is based on a statistic of wins per miles raced at Daytona in all “money” races, such as qualifiers, the Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400. (For instance, 12,000 laps with 3 wins amounts to 1 win per 4,000 miles raced).

Position number ten belongs to:

(Insert your drum roll here)

10. Jimmie Johnson (5117.5 miles : 1 win total)

Posted by at 8:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A couple of weeks ago we posted our first blog entry for this racing season with NASCAR’s Wish List for 2008. We want to take this opportunity to expand on various wishes in order to explain why we “hypothesized” the way we did. Keep in mind that the “wishes” are based more on the business side of NASCAR than the racing side.

Here are three wishes.

#10: No “three-peat”. Las Vegas bookmakers give #48 a 4 to 1 chance of three-peating as Sprint Cup champion. It’s only been done once. We think NASCAR would like to see a close championship but with a new face (or even familiar face) in order to stimulate greater fan interest in the Race for the Chase as well as the Chase itself. An analogy would be the Chicago Bulls, UCLA under Wooden and even the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fans of those teams loved their dynasties but others were turned off by their repeated success.

#9: #88 makes the Chase. He’s been the most popular driver the last several years but has had his ups and downs. What better way to stimulate fan interest than to have Dale Jr. make the Chase — or even better, to win it all? Given all the off-season hype about Jr. winning races and making the Chase, fans would be sorely disappointed if after Richmond in September, he’s down in 14th or 15th place.

#8: TV ratings and track attendance improve. Of course, NASCAR wants these to happen but not simply to point to the sport’s popularity. Rather, sponsors and TV network exec’s would be thrilled at the possibility of greater exposure — and that’s why they pay big bucks for television contracts and bright logos on the race cars.

Stay tuned for further elucidation.

Jon

Posted by at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It is always problematic to go searching for the “best” or to look for the “greatest” in any genre. But here we go, even as we remember the old saw: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

Our premise is simple:

Who are the five greatest drivers to ever race at Daytona?

As we count down to race week we will periodically reveal what our (rough) statistical analysis indicates for the past 50 years

We would love to receive your list

Posted by at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After several years at the helm of NASCAR, Brian France said last Monday that NASCAR will minimize the number of changes it makes this year. His rationale was that NASCAR needed to bring back lost fans. I (and others) couldn’t agree more that the rapid changes he instituted did dampen the enthusiasm of many fans toward the sport they love(d).

However, there should be one change instituted as quickly as possible — the elimination of the “top 35 rule.” Joe Menzer in his NASCAR.com column on Tuesday called for the rule to be eliminated. Jeff Burton has indicated that sponsors for teams outside the top 35 are few and far between since there is no guarantee their teams will make the race. Even Darrell Waltrip was quoted in Menzer's article acknowledging that the “top 35 rule” has drawbacks as well as benefits to the sport.

Last year I wrote that the “top 35 rule” was patently unfair and in effect was creating “franchises."

If we’re not going to eliminate the rule entirely, how’s this for a compromise: top 12 must qualify on time (with so many past champions probably in the top 12, the chances of those drivers not making it are miniscule), positions 13-25 are guaranteed starting spots, and 26-42 (26-43 if no past champion’s provisional is used) qualify on time. That gives teams that have faster times than those in positions 13-25 a much better chance of making the race and not having to pack it in for the weekend at great expense.

Then again, I’m probably “spitting into the wind” on this one!

Jon

Posted by at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So what do Major League Baseball and NASCAR have in common?

They both will probably have the same nightmare. What’s that nightmare? Think about how much trouble the MLB head office went to ensure that the World Series games would not be (1) during the day on a weekday and (2) not up against football at night. So what happens? First, Colorado sweeps the National League pennant. Bosox saves the day by clawing out of a 3-1 deficit to win the American pennant.

Then the NIGHTMARE—a Bosox sweep in four!

So, let’s now look at the situation in NASCAR. The New York front office increased the number of drivers in the Chase (and Jr. still didn’t make it), hyped the change in the points system to reward race winners, and kept talking about how the top five drivers in the Chase are all capable of winning the championship even as late as the Martinsville race. Three weeks ago I wrote that after Martinsville, the Chase would be down to two drivers — no one even flinched. Well, we now have exactly that — Teflon I and Teflon II.

Who even cares now that we know that Hendrick will once again carry home the trophy — just which of the Teflon men will it be? Do Tony’s fans care? Matt’s? Denny’s? Hardly!

Yes, gentlemen (and ladies): we have a repeat of the MLB Nightmare — except now it’s NASCAR’s turn. As Mike said, “twice of one or half of the other”! Better leave the lights on so as not to fall asleep.

Jon

Posted by at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, the “silly season of NASCAR” appears to be gaining momentum as JJ Yeley is officially out at JGR and Kenny Wallace is climbing out of the 78 car of Furniture Row Racing. Add Sterling Marlin to the picture and we can see some major shake-ups coming by the end of the racing season.

Usually, one of the reasons for announcing driver changes is to allow the “former” driver an opportunity to find a ride for the following season. Clearly, however, such is not the case so far as JJ’s demise is the result of the dominoes that have fallen at DEI and Hendrick Motorsports. Both DEJr and Kyle are quite high-profile drivers and were courted by several different teams. JJ, Sterling, and Kenny — although nice guys — aren’t in the same bracket and will find it more difficult to find rides for next season.

Still, DEI needs a driver — assuming Budweiser stays onboard with the #8 team (now that the #8 is not going over with Jr.) — so JJ might have a chance there. Or, DEI may woo some other high-profile driver who is looking to move into a more publicized position.

One more random thought: If Jr. doesn’t make the Chase in ‘07, there may be less pressure on him to win a title next year and simply zero in on making the Chase in ’08. That actually may be the better scenario for him. Your comments are welcomed.

Jon

Posted by at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear JJ:

It is unfortunate that we must tell you that your services will no longer be needed after this season. It’s not that you don’t share the family values that we espouse at Joe Gibbs Racing. You see, it’s just that we were fortunate to snag another driver — one who has shown his ability to win. Despite your one pole this year, second place finish in the Coca Cola 600, and 21st place in the points, we think Kyle will make the No. 18 a little more competitive and that’s what it’s all about, right?.

Now that Ray Evernham has a partner and more money, he may be looking to add another car to his stable so you might want to send him a resume. I know there are several former Ginn employees who are also out of jobs with the sell-out to — sorry, merger with -- DEI so Ray should have no problem finding people to work on another car. You may certainly use me us as a reference should you decide to talk with Ray.

You might want to talk with Kyle to see how he’s adjusted to being the “lame duck” at Hendrick so that you don’t make the same seething remarks and then have to retract them. Be certain that 11 and 20 will continue to be team players with you so, unlike 24, 25, and 48, you know we’ll be there for you.

Best of luck as you pursue your racing career.

Sincerely,

JGR

Posted by at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have been in Europe for awhile so as you might expect it has been mostly F1 coverage for me. NASCAR there is much like an alien being (think X-Files) to many, but not all, Europeans. We are an oddity -- racing yet not quite real racing.

But this post isn't really about Europeans, Americans, or any other group - it is about brands and consumers.

According to Kevin Roberts (Saatchi and Saatchi --- see krconnect.blogspot.com ), people want to know the following:

1. How can I buy stuff and feel good about it?

2. Why does choosing have to take up so much of my time and attention? The Economist tells us that two-thirds of consumers feel constantly bombarded. Bombardment is a twentieth century idea. Connectors will ignite growth in the twenty-first century.

3. What can you offer me beyond price? Wal-Mart’s shift in focus from “Always Low Prices” to “Saving people money so they can live better lives” is huge. It’s smart, forward-looking and brave.

4. What do you really know about me – and what do I know about you? The human thirst for authenticity is intense. It is pushing brands far beyond their comfort zones of smart market segmentation and savvy PR. People talking to people. That’s where we are headed.

5. What have we got to talk about? This is where it gets personal. A lot of brands have nothing interesting to say. They can talk about themselves and be the bores we all avoid, or they can work hard to become the relevant, fun, connected friends we want.

6. Can you keep up with me? This is where it gets tough, fast and tactical. Consumers are way ahead and they never stop pushing. Cool stores, new games, the latest mobile functions. If they can dream it, brands have to try to do it.

I learned that Budweiser and Dale Jr. will soon part ways and -- I yawned. So, did I just commit a NASCAR heresy? Maybe I was just tired from traveling or perhaps I am getting more cynical as I age, but in my opinion this is not a big deal.

Brands and drivers part ways on a more or less regular basis. As loyal as NASCAR fans are (and they are mighty loyal) I question whether a fan of Dale Jr. who also happens to enjoy Budweiser will stop liking either. Budweiser has such a powerful image that they can choose most any driver and retain/develop a fan base for that driver.

The larger problem lurking in the weeds isn't the parting of the ways between two popular 'brands' (yes,Dale Jr. is a 'brand') but rather a slow, yet steady, decline into the darkside of driver 'sameness'.

Just examine those six questions -- I think NASCAR probably has. When the day arrives that questions such as these cannot be answered to the satisfaction of the fans, NASCAR will have a real problem.

So now is the time to consider the future and I am betting it is far beyond issues such as the Car of Tomorrow.

That's the (somewhat hazy) view from here.

Michael

Posted by at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I’m quite certain that fans of Dale Jr. slept very well last night, with visions of championships he is SURE to win driving for Hendrick Motorsports. In fact, I wish him well. I just can’t wait to see Jimmy or Jeff pull over to let him lead a lap!

But here’s a different version of this current situation. A couple of years ago, Kurt Busch abruptly left Roush (Fenway) and moved on to Penske. Jack-in-the-Hat was so infuriated he changed the number of the car the following season. Last year, Dale Jarrett left RYR to go with Michael Waltrip. There were hues and cries about driver loyalty. Well, Kyle (I’m not a really big fan) had a contract through 2008 but Rick Hendrick decided he could drop the contract. I’m not in the “inner circle” so there probably was a clause that allowed this. But what about owner loyalty to a driver?

Keep in mind the following: Kyle has one win this season to Dale’s zip; Kyle has three top 5 and seven top 10 finishes while Dale has one top 5 and five top 10 finishes; Kyle is 10th in points while Dale is 14th; and Kyle has four Cup wins since 2005 to Dale’s two. Yes, Hendrick Motorsports will be a good move for Dale. But what about Kyle? What’s he to do?

Well, I’m a big fan of “Don’t get angry, get even.” So, maybe Kyle will do the proverbial “spit in your eye” and go to DEI.

Just a thought.

Jon

Posted by at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Almost everyone knows the purported Native American saying, “Before I judge a man, let me first walk a mile in his moccasins.”

Well, last week I had the opportunity to ride some laps through the Richard Petty Driving Experience. It was part of my last year’s Christmas gift. I didn’t drive but did the “ride-along”. Actually, I felt it important to attempt to experience some of what it’s like to be on the track if I’m going to talk and teach about NASCAR. It was, indeed, an enlightening experience.

The experience overall was rather authentic. Donned a firesuit (although I’m not sure about the “fire” part), helmet, and HANS device. Climbed through the window (passenger side!), got strapped in (reminded me of “Apollo 13” with Tom Hanks when the astronauts were strapped in by the technicians who really pulled hard on the belts). I turned to my driver, introduced myself, and said, “Pocono, 500 miles, no way!”

The acceleration was about as expected, as was the roar of the car. However, since we didn’t pass anyone, I didn’t have a real sense of speed, although I was told we turned around 120 mph. What caught my attention was the “G” forces going into and coming out of the turns (this was at Richmond Int’l Raceway, a ¾ mile track that has a good banking to it).

Additionally, I was struck by how confined I was — and my seat was designed to accommodate a variety of body shapes and sizes. I recognized quickly that a driver cannot be claustrophobic and be a racer in one of these cars. And then the thought really sank in that being in that driver’s seat for 400 or 500 laps or miles must put a tremendous stress on one both physically and mentally.

And thus I offer you this observation. The next time you’re quick to say, “Dumb move, Stupid!” keep in mind what has been happening to “Stupid” and what physical and mental stress that driver has been under. The pop phrase is “red mist.” Well, if Kurt or Tony or – name the driver you love to bash — experiences “red mist,” drive a mile in his firesuit.

And, finally, I would strongly recommend you consider any of the driving experiences that might come your way. It’s AWESOME, as those of you who have done this experience knows. I’m saving my coins so I can do my “rookie experience.”

Keep in touch.

Jon

Posted by at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1.A night of firsts on a Day of Memory?

Kyle Petty's first top 5 in 10 years
Casey Mears first win
Toyota's first top 5

2. Brother Can You Spare a Gallon?

"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" was one of the best-known American songs of
the Great Depression.

Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

(Written in 1931 by lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg and composer Jay Gorney.)

Charlotte is usually the marathon of the season but it was well worth the nearly
6 hours. At first I thought my theme would have to be "The Junkman Cometh."
But, amazingly, most of the wrecks (and there were plenty) were still running at
the end. I think that is a tribute to the unsung crews of NASCAR (and to a 600-
mile race).The season is just beginning to warm up and as we head into the summer heat
let's see who has staying power, because as we all know , 'it isn't over until ... '

3. Now for the concrete of Dover?

Michael

Posted by at 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Did anyone see Smoke beat up on his rivals last week?

Didn’t think so given all the hullabaloo about Junior. (For the record, Smoke DIDN’T beat up anyone last week.)

So now the waiting game begins — where, oh where, will Junior end up next year? Even the souvenir makers are asking that he make a quick decision so that they can begin manufacturing the new merchandise! So much for racing.

Still, there are a great many fans of Junior who would like to see him end up driving for RCR, given that’s where Dale Senior ended his career. Some even would want Junior to drive the No. 3 COT next year. Personally, I think those are two bad choices for Junior.

Why, you ask?

First, just driving for RCR would put immense pressure on Junior because his father drove for RCR. Second, what (lord forbid) if Junior didn’t win a NEXTEL title driving the No. 3 for RCR? Calamity would certainly ensue because Junior is seen as capable of winning a title if he’s with the right owner. I think it would be unfair to Junior to put him in such a position.

Given his other choices (and the current status of several owners of Chevy teams), my opinion is that Junior should go it on his own. He already has the offer from Rick Hendrick to assist with engines. He certainly has the financial backing as well as name recognition to bring on additional sponsors (and perhaps financial partners). The only major problem is that single car teams simply have a tough row to hoe, and he would not be any different. Tough decision making time for Junior.

Best of luck!

Jon

Posted by at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It’s hard to believe that when I first started watching NASCAR regularly, there were so many single car owners. Even some owners today were single car owners for quite a while before bringing on a second (or third or fourth) car. Rusty Wallace with Penske, Dale Earnhardt with Childress, Bobby Labonte with Gibbs.

Then, we also had the owner/driver combinations, most notably Geoffrey and Brett Bodine (although they didn’t have that much success). Today, according to the list of Nextel drivers on NASCAR.com, there are only four single car owners, with one (Robby Gordon) an owner/driver. Surprisingly, two of the four are in the top 29 (Raines at 23rd and Gordon at 29th — Kenny Schrader is 40th and Kenny Wallace is 43rd) after the recent Richmond race.

What’s my point, you ask? The days of single car owners are nearly at an end. As a result, I believe that what we’re going to see (and probably are already seeing) is “competition compression” (we saw it last year on several occasions when three multi-car teams captured nearly all of the top ten positions in a race; additionally, no single car owner won a race last year). This “competition compression” is going to have a detrimental effect on second- and third-tier multi-car teams (minimal chance at winning, let alone be in the “Chase”) and fan interest.

Let’s face it — picking Kenny Schrader, Sterling Marlin, or even Bobby Labonte to win on a regular basis is an exercise in futility. Last year all races were won by drivers from six teams! Maybe this explains the “top 35 in owners’ points” syndrome that has been thrust upon us!

Jon

Posted by at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Everyone who follows NASCAR knows that fan loyalty to NASCAR sponsors is the highest for any major sport. We shop at The Home Depot, drink Coca Cola and drive Chevys.

So what about the drivers? How much loyalty do they have for their sponsors? I would suppose a great deal.

So let’s look at a situation where a driver chooses to NOT race in support of his sponsor. Everyone likes Mark Martin, the current “dean” of drivers. After announcing his retirement last year, he turned around and signed a deal to drive for Ginn Racing — although on a limited basis. Well, as luck would have it, Mark sits in first place in the standings after the first four races. Yet, rather than continue to drive his 01 U.S. Army car, he has chosen to sit out the next two races and allow a rookie to take over.

I wonder if Joe Gibbs would allow Tony Stewart to continue driving if Tony decided to take a couple of weeks off?

Although not driving full time was part of the agreement with Ginn Racing, Martin seems not to recognize the responsibility to his sponsor and team owner that others would deem required, especially given his place in the standings. It appears Martin has placed himself as “01” instead of the U.S. Army and Ginn Racing. As a result, upon returning to the 01 car for the Texas race in April, he’ll be no better than 36th place.

So much for loyalty.

-- Jon

Posted by at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Recently while talking to a reporter I was asked if I had done any research on drivers’ salaries. My response was candid — no, most drivers’ salaries are not made public.

Then, after talking with my colleague, Mike, we started researching this issue. Mike found a couple of contracts for Kasey Kahne that were entered into court records several years ago. I followed up by contacting Dustin Long, a reporter for several newspapers. He confirmed that Kasey’s contract was reflective of the norm.

But I still wondered why the drivers’ contracts were so “hush-hush‿ — especially given how open the media is with contracts for players in the NFL, NBA, etc. So a little more research showed that in 2005 Jeff Gordon’s salary, winnings, and endorsements placed him 19th on Sports Illustrated’s list of the top 50 paid athletes, while Tony Stewart ranked 34th.

Darrell Waltrip has written that when owners are discussing deals with sponsors, the drivers might not even be discussed before the deal is sealed. Given how often we learn of salaries of professional athletes, CEOs, and even college professors (I’m at a state institution where my salary figure is readily available if anyone cares), why aren’t drivers’ salaries disclosed? Should they be? Do sponsors eventually know? Do we even care? Just a thought.

On another note, in case you missed it, Washington state House Representative Larry Seaquist made it clear he does not want NASCAR and its fans in his beloved home state:
“These people are not the kind of people you want living next to you,‿ he told a Fox television news station. “They’d be the ones with junky cars in their front yards and would try to slip around the law.‿

Guess he hasn’t seen the motor homes of fans at the race tracks!

-- Jon

(More on the Washington racetrack debate: (1) http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/03/05/gbiffle.washington.track.support/; (2) http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/opinion/03/06/jmenzer.washington.track/)

Posted by at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Top 10 Fearless (but not ones we are betting any cash on ) Predictions for 2007:

10. Staten Island - DOA; Hello, Seattle!

9. The rising cost of attending a race drives fans away.

8. Introduction of Toyota--what will be the reaction, one like Jack Roush or more like Brian France? (We know, we know, it is more of a question than a prediction)

7. New demographics-- Montoya's entree into Nextel and Busch's points race in Canada lead to new viewers

6. COT confuses fans who don’t want IROC-style racing.

5. JPM finishes well and two more F1/INDY drivers follow.

4. New Busch Series Sponsor -- big deal or non-story, and will there be a "target" on the new sponsor?

3. The fines just keep on a coming

2. Toyota wins by seventh race. (Ensuing controversy good for solving item # 9).

1. No one can replace Benny.

Big stories of the Week:
"Just in time for Valentines...The Candymen deliver"

1. David and Lazarus are appropriate monikers for the front row holders of this year's Daytona 500. By providing Yates Racing and Masterfoods, Inc., the front row for this Sunday's classic, perhaps the folks at Snickers can place into their rearview mirror their strange Super Bowl commercial.

2. The only question left to be answered is the "water into wine" miracle for Michael Waltrip (perhaps we should say "mystery liquid into 'oil' "). Hey Matt, that should show you that a few misplaced holes are not that exciting.

3. On the other front we are guaranteed that for the first time since 1963 -- when Smokey Cook ran an MG (yes, you read that correctly) at Bowman-Gray stadium in a 200 lap event won by Junior Johnson -- a foreign entry will run in a NASCAR points race. Wonder what took them so long?

4. James Hylton age 72 looking relaxed and ... well, need we say more ?

5. New life for Chip Gnassi !

Overall: Score a -3 for the Toyotas and a +1 for candy.

--- Jon and Mike

Posted by at 9:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)