The View from Here: The Business of NASCAR

With declining numbers of attendance and TV viewership, NASCAR is making some very needed changes. The controversial COT, or better known as car of tomorrow, had been a cause of decline. Fans did not like the fact that all the cars looked almost identical except for a few stickers. This situation posed a problem for new fans since it was not easy to differentiate between drivers.
NASCAR has now addressed this by revealing four new COT's for the Nationwide Series. Fans are very excited with the new designs, and the fact that the cars are a lot more realistic looking. With the new look of the COT cars for Nationwide, NASCAR has announced that the Sprint Cup COT cars will also get a facial uplift to give a resemblence to the newer Nationwide cars.
It seems like a good idea, which is getting a lot of positive feedback for NASCAR. This change is the closest to production looking cars since the late 80's/early 90's. In a bad economy, NASCAR is taking big risks by introducing new cars. Hopefully this time, NASCAR executives listened more to fan feedback rather than worry about cost saving measures.
And that's the view from here.
WA

Posted by at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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)

With attendance numbers steadily declining at the tracks, are corporate sponsors becoming more concerned with where their investment dollars are going or is there more than what we see at the track? This is a question that top-level executives of companies such as Sprint, Aflac, UPS, Best Western, DuPont, and other major corporate sponsors continue to reassess. Over the years NASCAR has become an intriguing place to invest for major corporations not only because of fan loyalty but also because of the potential profitable relationships that can be developed via NASCAR's B2B Model.

NASCAR's B2B Council sets up events quarterly where official sponsors can get together and come up with ways to make their partnerships profitable. This forum for B2B partnerships makes NASCAR even more attractive for investment and keeps its sponsors happy with the valuable relationships they're able to develop. A recent example of NASCAR's B2B model is "NASCAR's Fuel for Business Driving Business Award" winner Aflac. Aflac used NASCAR's B2B event to establish profitable partnerships with companies who can use their services, such as Office Depot, Ford, and Cintas.

As attendance continues to decline, it will be interesting to see how NASCAR is able to continue to provide new avenues of value for its sponsors.

And that's the view from here.

DO

Posted by at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASCAR has undoubtedly become one of the biggest and most popular sports in the U.S. As NASCAR has grown in popularity in this country, the growth of its popularity has also expanded internationally. This growth raises the question of why NASCAR is not expanding further into the international community. Currently, NASCAR races in the Nationwide Series in Canada, and previously in Mexico as well. But NASCAR has not had a points paying race in the premier Sprint Cup series in the modern era outside of the United States. Although there have been experiments with the premier series outside the U.S., specifically Japan in the nineties, it never caught enough attention for NASCAR's liking.

Another question is raised from this issue of NASCAR being international: why does NASCAR need to expand internationally when there are markets currently in the U.S. that are underserved, such as the Pacific Northwest to the Mecca of sports in the U.S, New York City? Opponents of NASCAR going international feel that the faithful American fans in underserved markets deserve to have a chance of having a track in their market. This belief makes sense to me given the economic situation is so negative at this time; new tracks could create jobs and revenue for Americans in those underserved areas.

As a result, I feel that NASCAR should focus its efforts on serving its loyal fans in their own country first, especially those underserved by the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

And that's the view from here.

WV

Posted by at 9:27 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)

Many of NASCAR's race weekends usually last two or three days depending on which race it happens to be. NASCAR has been looking into making more two-day weekends for the 2010 racing season. One of the main reasons NASCAR would like this to happen in 2010 is because of the hard economic times we are facing today.

By making more two-day weekends NASCAR believes it will help save a tremendous amount of money for many of the organizations in the NASCAR circuit. Even though this approach has been considered for years, many people believe this would be the perfect time for NASCAR to go through with this idea. Many fans, including me, do not realize how much money each team could actually save from cutting down from a three- to two-day weekend. It is estimated that it costs a team $300,000 to $600,000 per car for an average three-day weekend.

So by having only a two-day weekend a small portion of that amount could be saved. Also knowing that they have to run a 36-race season, organizations would eventually save millions of dollars within a season. By seeing how much money could be saved, I believe this would be a great change for NASCAR to make most of the races a two-day weekend event.
CS

Posted by at 9:03 AM | 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)

Well, the twice-yearly Fontana race weekend is over. Based on what I’ve been reading, some considered the racing terrific -- history was made by Busch and repeated for only the fifth time by Kenseth (wins first two Sprint Cup races of the season in a row). Still, many others are saying all three races — truck, Nationwide, and Sprint Cup — were B-O-R-I-N-G!!! And many have noted that attendance was down — AGAIN — and that television ratings (not yet announced) would also be down — too much competition with golf, Tour of California, and the Oscars.

So, what’s NASCAR to do?

First, I suggest going back to one race in Fontana and moving the second Sprint Cup date to Kentucky (I know, ISC giving a date to Speedway Motorsports Inc. is probably not going to happen). At least NASCAR could try it out to see whether Kentucky is viable (apparently it is for Nationwide and trucks).

Second, NASCAR needs to start races at a reasonable time; unless a race is a night race (like RIR), the race should start by 2 p.m. Eastern time. And, finally, NASCAR needs to do better research about competing events in and around the various tracks so as to maximize both attendance and TV viewership.

And that’s the view from here.

Jon

Posted by at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am somewhat of NASCAR novice, but I feel that the scoring system in NASCAR does not produce an overall or dominant winner. I will liken this to other professional sports, which I know a little bit more about. In the other major professional sports such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB, teams win based on beating the other team outright. A team does not receive credit for leading the most quarters or having the most tackles. Success is based on playing hard night in and night out and coming out victorious over the opponent.
NASCAR’s scoring system awards consistency more than winning. In other sports, the only consistency that is rewarded is consistently WINNING the most games. I was brought up in competitive sports and winning was always the main objective, and nothing less was accepted by anyone. In my opinion, the same should be reflected in NASCAR’s points system.
Drivers receive 5 bonus points for leading a lap, 5 more points to the driver who leads the most laps. I understand that races are long and NASCAR is trying to award the drivers that do well, but I do not feel that bonuses should be awarded for leading laps during the race. I agree with our instructor Dr. Pitts' suggestion on the points system in which first place is awarded 43 points and last place is awarded 1 point. This system is simple, clean cut, and would produce a champion who consistently WINS throughout the season.
Had the points system been different would Jimmie Johnson have three-peated? You tell me. And that’s the view from here.
LB

Posted by at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

There is a topic that every NASCAR fan has an opinion about: the old point system or the new point system. For whatever reason this topic always seems to add heat to any conversation.

I tend to favor the old point system. This system built the sport to what it is today. If a driver dominants, let him dominant; a good season should not be wiped out 10 races before the season is over (regardless of who that driver is!). Or what about the other side, if a driver who has had a bad season, no matter how good they are the last 10 races, it does not matter. I am by no means a Kyle Bush fan, but you have to feel sorry for the guy. He was having an amazing season and not only has it gone downhill by a landslide, his points were wiped out 10 races before the end of the season.

I also do not agree with the bonus point system. Who cares if you lead a lap during a caution because you did not pit? That is not racing and should not be rewarded. And do not even get me started on the “Lucky Dog.” Two weeks ago in Atlanta, Jimmy Johnson finished 2nd. The only reason he finished 2nd was because he was given his lap back after going a lap down. Jimmy was given his lap back. Without this rule, how much closer would Carl Edwards be to closing the gap in the Chase?

I can argue my point all day, but my main concern is the sponsors. NASCAR teams are fighting for sponsors, with many teams not knowing who will be on the side of their cars in February. This is already an issue and I feel like the Chase only makes this harder. What sponsor wants to put out millions each year to not have any television time for 10 races? Basically, if your car is not a sure bet to get into the Chase, sponsors will find somewhere else to take their money. Who knows, maybe without the millions each year NASCAR will remember the fans that made the sport what it is today.
And that’s the view from here.
AL

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

There has been discussion about what the future holds for NASCAR. Will it expand into more markets in the United States? Will it go into Mexico or Canada or perhaps overseas? First and foremost, NASCAR is a business and there is no question that it wants to increase its market size. I don’t think, however, that NASCAR can expand while hanging onto the Southern image.

When people who aren’t fans hear about NASCAR, an image of drunken, redneck, good ol’ boys pops into their heads. People don’t want to associate themselves with that type of lifestyle, especially the wealthier ones, if that is the image conveyed to them. If people don’t want to associate themselves, there is no fan base in that area and thus no expansion into that market.

What NASCAR needs to do is figure out a way to portray the American values, which are found in the South, to these potential new fan bases. These values include hard work, dedication, and passion, to name a few. In reality, however, many people worldwide possess these core values. They are able to relate to the sport thus increasing NASCAR’s fan base. These values are just as easily virtues that everyone wants to strive for.

The key for NASCAR is to separate the American/Southern values from the Southern image. That is the only way for new domestic and international markets to embrace this sport. People may not be able to relate to corporate sponsorships or the business of the sport but NASCAR can hook them with an image of being a dedicated hard worker just as cigarette ads got teenagers hooked by sending a message it was cool.

Internationally, NASCAR needs to make the sport seem so universal that it is easy for people to accept it. Not many Europeans would want to associate themselves with a sport whose American fans’ lifestyle they dislike. Everyone can relate to the values, not everyone can or wants to relate to the image.

In closing, the southern image cannot survive in NASCAR if NASCAR wants to expand. NASCAR can’t expand if it wants to keep the Southern image. Emphasize the American/Southern values if NASCAR wants to grow and eradicate the image. NASCAR management needs to decide which way it wants to go because it can’t do both.
And that’s the view from here.
MA

Posted by at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So these NASCAR drivers are supposed to be some of the best drivers in the world? Why don’t we throw a few more road races into the Sprint Cup Series season to see who really is the “best driver?”
I know one problem as to why some people resist watching NASCAR is because all they think the drivers do is go left. If you follow the sport closely, you know that there is a lot more to it than that. So I pose the question, why not add more road races to show a different aspect of NASCAR? Adding more of these races could capture more fans because road races show these impressive machines going in and out of both right and left hand turns instead of just going in circles.
Fans love the road stuff and even the drivers like a challenge every once in a while. It would be a change of scenery for drivers, instead of going left every weekend. The oval tracks seem to have fewer close finishes than the road courses, unless of course there is a late yellow flag artificially stacking the field. NASCAR is missing a huge opportunity in expanding its fan base by not having more of these exciting road races. Heck, maybe more road races will attract fans of similar racing styles like Formula I and IndyCar.
And that’s the view from here.
JS

Posted by at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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)

Can the business of NASCAR be compared to that of Wal-Mart? Perhaps I am going to the extreme here, but the two enterprises have a great deal in common.

I am a business student and confess that I do not have a lot of knowledge about NASCAR, having only been to one race and almost a second (but a hurricane changed that opportunity). As we discuss the different aspects of NASCAR in our “Business of NASCAR” class, I hear so many Wal-Mart similarities woven into our class discussions.

As many of us know, Wal-Mart leads a secretive life in business. There is not much known about how the company operates. Its employees’ and suppliers’ conversations are held in strictest confidence. If word gets out that a supplier has talked, whether good or bad, the business relationship could be severed. NASCAR runs the same way. Contracts with drivers are kept extremely confidential as are the terms of sponsorships. Perhaps not to the severity of relinquishing the contract but you rarely hear about the terms of a contract, unless a case goes to court and the contract is available to the public eyes.

Wal-Mart and NASCAR are similar in their clientele. You have Wal-Mart lovers and Wal-Mart haters, as you do with NASCAR. Wal-Mart and NASCAR are parallel in that their followers are very loyal to the company.

NASCAR and Wal-Mart hold a great deal of power in negotiating with their suppliers. They both hold the upper hand. If you do not do business their way, then others are waiting in line to take your place. With Wal-Mart if you cannot supply your merchandise in a timely manner following its shipping provisions, then Wal-Mart can easily pull its business and forward it to a company who can, often without warning. In the NASCAR world, if you are late with your entry form, NASCAR holds the option to accept or deny entry into the race.

While the companies are different in so many ways, their likenesses are uncanny. They both are a business that has the reputation of having the upper hand, and they know it. They call the terms, they call how they want things done, and you must adhere to their rules.

And that’s my view from here.

AV

Posted by at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I’ve been on vacation for the past few weeks and thus haven’t been submitting any blog entries, but now it’s back to work.

And, with the Race for the Chase nearing its end, everyone’s attention is on who will make the Chase—and it’s close. But rather than ramble on that topic, I’d like to address recent comments by #31 regarding the “long-term health of NASCAR”.

It seems that Jeff Burton believes it’s in the best interest of NASCAR, the teams, and the sponsors if the number of cars attempting to qualify for a race is limited to the 43 slots.

“The philosophy of having 48 cars all vying for 43 sports, I know that’s cool and everything. Or the thought that if you’re not good enough, you just go home because you don’t deserve to be in the race. But that’s not economically sound,” said Burton in an interview at Michigan last week.

He believes that spreading the sponsorship dollars over more cars de-values the sponsor—and even hurts teams because the sponsors will, in the current economic climate, not be as willing to risk backing a team that possibly will not make the race.

“Forty-three cars that are assured of being in the field is the best scenario for our sport,” Burton stated.

I’m not even saying the "F-word” (and here's more on the "F word") but to me it certainly sounds like that’s what Jeff is saying. And how does a team get to be one of the 43?

Here’s a thought for you -- if the number of cars attempting to qualify for a race is limited to 43, how do we get new drivers, new teams, and new sponsors into the sport? Yes, the sponsors of those 43 teams are quite happy knowing their driver will be in the race but I think it’s short-sighted in the long run.

But that’s simply the view from here.

Jon

Posted by at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A couple of years ago, Dale Jr. uttered a four-letter expletive during a post-race interview. NASCAR hit him with a sizeable fine. Several other drivers have been known to cuss over their headphones when talking with their crew chiefs. When that has happened, NASCAR fined them for behavior unbecoming the sport.

Indeed, NASCAR likes to promote its clean, family-oriented sports image and likes its drivers and crews to reflect that image. In fact, sponsors and NASCAR have been blamed for the blandness of the sport, with fans citing the lack of the flamboyant drivers and hard-racing action they came to love in the past.

So, now that NASCAR is in the midst of a multi-million dollar lawsuit that weighs heavy on the clean-cut image that NASCAR has worked so hard to develop, what will the sponsors now think? Will we see a revolt of sorts by current sponsors as their contracts with team owners begin to expire? Will teams be faced with even more difficulty securing sponsors because of the nastiness of the charges along with the current economic situation that we’re all facing?

It’s hard to imagine NASCAR coming out of all this without some major bruises to its image as the sport without controversy, drugs, or scandals. Time will tell whether sponsors will reconsider the value of putting their names on cars to the tune of $20-25 million when the sport may be in court—legal as well as public opinion—for quite some time. This isn’t a “Kentucky lawsuit”; it’s a lawsuit that most everyone can identify with in one way or another.

And that’s the view from here.

Jon

Posted by at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I finished Mark Yost’s “The 200 MPH Billboard: The Inside Story on How Big Money Changed NASCAR” over the weekend. It was a very good “read” and put me onto several topics that I want to investigate further. Mr. Yost closed his book with an epilogue, “What’s Next for NASCAR?” Some of his observations were off. For example, he suggested that the company taking over the former Busch series could be expected to pay three to four times more than Anheuser-Busch did and we all know that wasn’t the case. Still, he raises some interesting topics.

One that struck me was that he saw NASCAR eventually building the Car of Tomorrow and selling it to the different teams. In that way, NASCAR accomplishes two important objectives: (1) make sure all the cars are the same so that no team has an advantage and (2) make MORE MONEY! NASCAR “owns” a great deal in the sport, including TV rights, merchandising rights for NASCAR merchandise, and even NASCAR Images, which controls photography and film. So, why not own the cars and have rights for building and selling them to teams? Seems like a possibility “down the road”.

And, in case you missed it (and that would be hard to believe), a former black female NASCAR official has filed a $250 million lawsuit for racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, and wrongful termination. If, as they say, “perception is reality,” this will be a major blow to NASCAR’s drive for diversity.

And that’s the view from here.

Jon

Posted by at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First of all, I hate cheaters just as much as the next person — whether it be racing, baseball (read steroids), or politics. But we have a philosophy in the U.S. that says that one is innocent until proven guilty. But, that’s not how NASCAR sees it. In NASCAR’s eyes, if something is amiss with your car, you obviously are a cheater and must be penalized.

Look at the obvious situations so far this year. Robby Gordon switches from Chevy to Dodge and receives a front nose for his Charger — but it isn’t the approved new Charger nose, which is currently undergoing NASCAR approval. Forget that R. Gordon didn’t realize it was the wrong part, forget that someone outside his team supplied the part, and forget that it was discovered in opening day inspection and thus the car was never run with the wrong nose. NASCAR simply says — “black is black and white is white, and that’s all there is to it!”

And now NASCAR discovers in the post-race inspection at Las Vegas that Carl Edwards did not have a lid on the oil reservoir encasement (or oil tank box). Five cars in the Nationwide series had loose lids on the oil reservoir encasement (and subsequently, the National Stock Car Racing Commission rescinded the penalties assessed to David Stremme, his crew chief, and car owner Rusty Wallace). But the appeal had to take place because NASCAR only sees “black and white”. Keep in mind that these “offenses” are not even close to being compared with last year’s penalties of Earnhardt Jr. (mounting rear-wing brackets illegally) and J. Gordon and J. Johnson (altering fenders). Those were overt modifications to gain a competitive advantage.

Despite all the technical expertise in NASCAR’s operations, the Big Boys simply don’t want to exercise any professional discretion; otherwise, everyone will be shouting “foul!” That’s the easy way out, NASCAR. For goodness sake, let’s not have cheaters — but everyone’s been guilty of an honest mistake!!

That’s my view from here.

Jon

Posted by at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If last weekend’s fiasco in California did anything, it showed everyone — including NASCAR — that the current Sprint Cup schedule simply needs the same major overhaul that NASCAR gave its cars with the COT(oday).

OK, weather notwithstanding, look at the fallout of racing on Monday in California and having to be in Las Vegas by Friday morning (make that realistically Thursday late afternoon). And that’s after nearly two weeks in Daytona.

Look deeper into the schedule — Texas, Phoenix and Talladega start April. Then in June, there are back-to-back races at Pocono, Michigan and California (Infineon), ending the month in New Hampshire. Doesn’t get much better at the end of July and beginning of August with Indianapolis, then Pocono, Watkins Glen and Michigan. Then the season ends with Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead-Miami.

Bottom line is that any one of these venues is susceptible to terrible weather over a weekend that could disrupt travel schedules — and yes, attendance and TV viewership. But more importantly — especially in times of high gas prices — can’t NASCAR cut these teams some breaks by setting a schedule that doesn’t have them criss-crossing the U.S. week after week?

It’s possible but frankly NASCAR doesn’t seem interested in teams, drivers, or fans.

And that’s the view from here!

Jon

Posted by at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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)

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)

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)

We began our blog last year with our top 10 predictions. We hit on a few of them and felt really good. This year, instead of predictions, we offer NASCAR’s Wish List for 2008 — what does NASCAR, which is so often accused of pulling the puppet strings, want to see happen this year. In the coming weeks, we’ll discuss the wishes in more depth. So, here goes!

#11 (OK, we want to start with a joke): No more “debris on the track” cautions!

#10: No “three-peat”

#9: #88 makes the Chase

#8: TV ratings and track attendance improve

#7: Everyone loves the COT

#6: One of the open-wheel drivers — preferably Montoya — makes the Chase

#5: An end to bickering over the 35 rule

#4: Toyota Wins

#3: A New Venue (Track)

#2: Less boring races

#1: Danica “sees the light”

Posted by at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

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)

In Monday’s NASCAR.com headlines, it was announced that Bill Davis (of Bill Davis Racing--#22 Dave Blaney and #36 Jeremy Mayfield) is interested in selling part or all of his race team. Seems that even with the success of Blaney in his Toyota, Davis is having a difficult time competing against the likes of Hendrick, Childress, Roush/Fenway, DEI, and Gillette/Evernham. As they say, “money talks, nobody walks” but it looks inevitable that Davis will walk.
Now reintroduce the “35” rule — top 35 drivers in points are guaranteed a spot in that week’s race, leaving the small guys somewhat hanging out to dry. It is becoming increasing clear that the small one- and two-car teams will be history unless something changes. NASCAR mandated a limit of four teams for an individual owner because of Roush’s success with his five-car set-up a couple of years ago.
Maybe it’s time for NASCAR to visit the issue that plagues open wheel racing—the limited number of teams, which results in boring racing. How about it, NASCAR? Won’t you come to the rescue for the small guys and reinvigorated racing?
Probably not!
Jon

Posted by at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

"In Memory ... Without his leadership, this blog would not exist.
Enough Said ..."

Michael

Posted by at 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)