[3fanforever]

Quite a busy press conference today, I'd say...

Petty Enterprises Announces New Business Structure

Petty Enterprises Names Zucker CEO

Boston Ventures Invests in Petty Enterprises

Labonte Signs Contract Extension with Petty

[BiscuitMan]

Half the world is trying to access the Petty Enterprises web page to find out what the news is. Below is the message you receive when you attempt to read their announcement online.

PettyEnterprises.com is currently undergoing maintenance and upgrades. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please come back soon.

My concern is "where's Kyle Petty in this new organization.

Oh by the way Kyle, welcome to corporate restructuring. It's a hoot.

[Bob Tanner]

Brian opens mouth and inserts foot again.

Jenna Fryer has the following AP story in today's paper:
Equity firm takes over Petty Enterprises

Standard stuff...blah, blah, blah...

BUT, buried deep within the story is the following:
The partnership comes amid a wave of outside investors joining NASCAR. Jack Roush sold a portion of his race team to the Fenway Sports Group and Ray Evernham partnered with Canadian businessman George Gillett Jr.

But NASCAR chairman Brian France insisted small teams don't need investors to remain competitive in racing.

"They don't have to," France said. "They can and they have, and it's attractive for different investment groups. But the jury is still out from the actual benefits. It's not an either-or, but it's an attractive sport to do business in."

Granted Brian is talking about the investment side of NASCAR team ownership but "small teams don't need investors to remain competitive in racing. They don't have to.?" I wonder if The Woods Brothers, Petty Enterprises, Furniture Row, BAM, HOF of any of the other teams who haven't won a race in how many years (?) would agree?

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Brian opens mouth and inserts foot again.

Jenna Fryer has the following AP story in today's paper:
Equity firm takes over Petty Enterprises

Standard stuff...blah, blah, blah...

BUT, buried deep within the story is the following:
The partnership comes amid a wave of outside investors joining NASCAR. Jack Roush sold a portion of his race team to the Fenway Sports Group and Ray Evernham partnered with Canadian businessman George Gillett Jr.

But NASCAR chairman Brian France insisted small teams don't need investors to remain competitive in racing.

"They don't have to," France said. "They can and they have, and it's attractive for different investment groups. But the jury is still out from the actual benefits. It's not an either-or, but it's an attractive sport to do business in."

Granted Brian is talking about the investment side of NASCAR team ownership but "small teams don't need investors to remain competitive in racing. They don't have to.?" I wonder if The Woods Brothers, Petty Enterprises, Furniture Row, BAM, HOF of any of the other teams who haven't won a race in how many years (?) would agree?

Does Brain(misspelled intentionally) really think the fans are that stupid? What a jackass

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Does Brain(misspelled intentionally) really think the fans are that stupid? What a jackass

In view of the fact he continues to goes against the will of the majority of the fans (as I see expressed here and in other areas) by allowing the Chosen 35 Rule to continue in its current form.

Ditto allowing the Cup Raiders to eat the life out of the BGN Series.

Now he apparently thinks the small teams "just need to work a little harder?

Yeah, I honestly believe that he thinks we are that stupid. (Are we absolutely that Chairman/CEO of NASCAR isn't an elected office? Brian sure acts as though it is.

[Jeffrey4396]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Ditto allowing the Cup Raiders to eat the life out of the BGN Series.

Sorry Bob I have to disagree with you on this statement. I think Brian allows the NWS to get raided is because that is exactly what majority of the fans want. Maybe not hardcore race fans like you, I, or anyone else here. I really think they would limit the number of cup drivers in NWS if the ratings were not so good with them. Plus how do you sell that to espn and other networks? Like it or not, Brian is going to do what makes the most $$$. Ratings equal $$$ and the ratings for the NWS are higher with the cup drivers than without them.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey4396

Plus how do you sell that to espn and other networks? Like it or not, Brian is going to do what makes the most $$$. Ratings equal $$$ and the ratings for the NWS are higher with the cup drivers than without them.

NFL Europe used to get TV deals. Arena League football is on ESPN. Minor league sports can and often do get TV deals.
You're right about the rating, I'd bet. Big names do attract viewers, which attact advertising dollars, which make networks very, very happy.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey4396

Sorry Bob I have to disagree with you on this statement. I think Brian allows the NWS to get raided is because that is exactly what majority of the fans want. Maybe not hardcore race fans like you, I, or anyone else here. I really think they would limit the number of cup drivers in NWS if the ratings were not so good with them. Plus how do you sell that to espn and other networks? Like it or not, Brian is going to do what makes the most $$$. Ratings equal $$$ and the ratings for the NWS are higher with the cup drivers than without them.

Unfortunately I believe that you are correct. Yet again we see the damage that NA__AR's pandering to the "Driver fans" does to NASCAR racing. They have no idea who Bobby Hamilton Jr, Mike Bliss, Stephen Leicht, or Kertus Davis is. All they want to see is Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick or might even settle for a not-so-famous driver like David Reutimann. Anyone, just as long as it's a name they can relate to in a Cup race.

What really troubles me in this equation, and in NA__AR's short sightedness, is: They are rapidly turning the BGN, and to a lesser degree CTS, a carbon copy of the Cup mess. I don't have the figures in front of me but awhile back I did some research and found that in the past five years the number of BGN team owners had been reduced by something like 50%!

Now, if the team owners are becoming something our Imperial Government might want to put on an endangered species list, then where will the team owners of tomorrow come from when Hendrick, Roush and Gibbs are gone?

I sincerely believe that NA__AR's wanting good figures today by pandering to a type of fan which might be construed to be doing the sport itself harm, will severely hurt the sport in the future. And the fan, to whom they are so judiciously pandering today will be gone, leaving to follow the next "fad" sport.

[Racer Duck]

Did anybody happen to notice this sentence buried deep within one of the announcements?

“Barry and Andy are two dynamic individuals who will diversify the portfolio of the new Petty Enterprises,” said newly-appointed Petty Enterprises CEO David Zucker. “Both have strong ties to corporate America and that is something that you need in today’s world of NASCAR. We need to replace sponsorship on the No. 43 car with driver Bobby Labonte and we will be looking to add new partners in the future.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

Did anybody happen to notice this sentence buried deep within one of the announcements?

I don't see a problem, Ducky. I think I might put Six Flags, Inc. or Panavision toward the top of potential sponsors. As Petty will ultimately find out, having a major investor control your company can force a lot of things to be done [in the name of "The Big Picture].

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Unfortunately I believe that you are correct. Yet again we see the damage that NA__AR's pandering to the "Driver fans" does to NASCAR racing. They have no idea who Bobby Hamilton Jr, Mike Bliss, Stephen Leicht, or Kertus Davis is. All they want to see is Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick or might even settle for a not-so-famous driver like David Reutimann. Anyone, just as long as it's a name they can relate to in a Cup race.

What really troubles me in this equation, and in NA__AR's short sightedness, is: They are rapidly turning the BGN, and to a lesser degree CTS, a carbon copy of the Cup mess. I don't have the figures in front of me but awhile back I did some research and found that in the past five years the number of BGN team owners had been reduced by something like 50%!

Now, if the team owners are becoming something our Imperial Government might want to put on an endangered species list, then where will the team owners of tomorrow come from when Hendrick, Roush and Gibbs are gone?

I sincerely believe that NA__AR's wanting good figures today by pandering to a type of fan which might be construed to be doing the sport itself harm, will severely hurt the sport in the future. And the fan, to whom they are so judiciously pandering today will be gone, leaving to follow the next "fad" sport.

many here will understand the following remark from me. some, sadly, will not.

NASCAR is merrily tripping along the way of the American farm system, and appears to be completely uncaring of the damage they're doing to the sport in their quest for the almighty dollar. The family farm has been replaced by mega farms run by corporations who care little about the people who pioneered the industry, who cleared and prepared the land, who lovingly produced a crop and who bravely perservered thru natural calamities. In their rush for $$$, often health and quality issues are overlooked, or, worse yet, dismissed as too expensive to the bottom line. It only takes a trip to a small butcher or a farmer's market to realize what's missing in the mega grocery stores where you can bank, get a hair cut, buy a stereo, and eat a meal: what's missing is top quality food produced by people who love what they're doing. And so it is with NASCAR.

But then, I'm old fashioned. I think everyone should have a chance to race that wants to. I don't think the price of admission into the elite classes of NASCAR should require 7+ figure bank acounts, nor should the price of success be measured by the number of teams owned by a single organization, nor by the number of souls on their payroll.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

many here will understand the following remark from me. some, sadly, will not.

NASCAR is merrily tripping along the way of the American farm system, and appears to be completely uncaring of the damage they're doing to the sport in their quest for the almighty dollar. The family farm has been replaced by mega farms run by corporations who care little about the people who pioneered the industry, who cleared and prepared the land, who lovingly produced a crop and who bravely perservered thru natural calamities. In their rush for $$$, often health and quality issues are overlooked, or, worse yet, dismissed as too expensive to the bottom line. It only takes a trip to a small butcher or a farmer's market to realize what's missing in the mega grocery stores where you can bank, get a hair cut, buy a stereo, and eat a meal: what's missing is top quality food produced by people who love what they're doing. And so it is with NASCAR.

But then, I'm old fashioned. I think everyone should have a chance to race that wants to. I don't think the price of admission into the elite classes of NASCAR should require 7+ figure bank acounts, nor should the price of success be measured by the number of teams owned by a single organization, nor by the number of souls on their payroll.

Duck, you know that sometimes it's good not to be alone? Thank you.

I posted the following over in the Mororsports Forum but it seems kind of germane here. As per our friend Wikipedia:
The Concorde Agreement is a contract between the FIA, the Formula One teams and Formula One Administration which dictates the terms by which the teams compete in races and take their share of the television revenues and prize money. There have in fact been five separate Concorde Agreements, all of whose terms were kept strictly secret: The first in 1981, others in 1987, 1992, 1997, and 1998, and the current agreement in 2007. However, the secrecy was broken by noted racing journalist Forrest Bond when the 120+ page 1997 Concorde Agreement was published in 2006 by RaceFax.

The effect of the agreements is to encourage professionalism and to increase the commercial success of Formula One. The most important factor in achieving this was the obligation of the teams to participate in every race, hence making the sport more reliable for broadcasters who were expected to invest heavily to acquire television broadcast rights. In return the teams were guaranteed a percentage of the sport's commercial revenue.

Now, please explain to me how the above differs greatly from what NA__AR/ISC is currently doing, without benefit of an official agreement?

Note to NA__AR: "Commercial success doesn't necessary equate to a successful operation." When the fans start to disappear in vast quantities, remember where you heard it first.

[SpaceCadet]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

many here will understand the following remark from me. some, sadly, will not.

NASCAR is merrily tripping along the way of the American farm system, and appears to be completely uncaring of the damage they're doing to the sport in their quest for the almighty dollar. The family farm has been replaced by mega farms run by corporations who care little about the people who pioneered the industry, who cleared and prepared the land, who lovingly produced a crop and who bravely perservered thru natural calamities. In their rush for $$$, often health and quality issues are overlooked, or, worse yet, dismissed as too expensive to the bottom line. It only takes a trip to a small butcher or a farmer's market to realize what's missing in the mega grocery stores where you can bank, get a hair cut, buy a stereo, and eat a meal: what's missing is top quality food produced by people who love what they're doing. And so it is with NASCAR.

But then, I'm old fashioned. I think everyone should have a chance to race that wants to. I don't think the price of admission into the elite classes of NASCAR should require 7+ figure bank acounts, nor should the price of success be measured by the number of teams owned by a single organization, nor by the number of souls on their payroll.

That's a great comparison, RD. But what is getting me all bent out of shape is that it's happening in some of the "home town" short track divisions, too. An example - a top notch supermodified, the best of which are built right in the area within a few miles of the track, can set you back anywhere from $30,000 - $70,000 and even more depending upon who you get to build the motor. We drove by one of the designer's/builder's shops a few weeks ago and there was Johnny Benson loading up a new super. And lo and behold he's on the roster at Toledo speedway tonight. I mean, that's great publicity for this division, but the average Joe can't possibly keep up. We're are very lucky to have guys like Davey Hamilton who drives in the Classic and his owner who do their best to get people to the track and pump as much money into the sport as possible. They even lend a hand monitarily to other teams when the smaller buck guys come up short and are among the first to get their hands dirty and help out the guy who crashed in his heat so he can make it to the feature. The guys with the bucks are killing the sport. Benson's not the only one. If Benson really wanted to help short track racing and the supermodified division that his father raced in, he'd throw some bucks to the small timers or to the track. Heck, buy the darn track! (In fairness to Benson, he may well have sponsored a racer or put money into a track, I don't know.) The track has tried implementing rules to even out the playing field, and it hasn't worked. It just pissed people off and now there's even fewer cars. The poor guys who spend hours in the garage and skip vacations with the family cannot keep up with the big buck owner's who just make a phone call and get their car fixed. Heck, a few times their driver's have wrecked and they just went and bought a new one. Who can keep up with that? Sponsor's around here are good for a few hundred bucks, if you're really lucky maybe a grand or so. And how far does that get you? It gets you tires for a few weeks, maybe some fuel. God forbid, don't wreck because then it's all over. It's everywhere, this "gotta have big money to race" mentality. I'm going to enjoy my good ol' short track as much as I can this year, because I don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling about the future. I'm thinking two years from now it's going to be a Home Depot.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by SpaceCadet

That's a great comparison, RD. But what is getting me all bent out of shape is that it's happening in some of the "home town" short track divisions, too. An example - a top notch supermodified, the best of which are built right in the area within a few miles of the track, can set you back anywhere from $30,000 - $70,000 and even more depending upon who you get to build the motor. We drove by one of the designer's/builder's shops a few weeks ago and there was Johnny Benson loading up a new super. And lo and behold he's on the roster at Toledo speedway tonight. I mean, that's great publicity for this division, but the average Joe can't possibly keep up. We're are very lucky to have guys like Davey Hamilton who drives in the Classic and his owner who do their best to get people to the track and pump as much money into the sport as possible. They even lend a hand monitarily to other teams when the smaller buck guys come up short and are among the first to get their hands dirty and help out the guy who crashed in his heat so he can make it to the feature. The guys with the bucks are killing the sport. Benson's not the only one. If Benson really wanted to help short track racing and the supermodified division that his father raced in, he'd throw some bucks to the small timers or to the track. Heck, buy the darn track! (In fairness to Benson, he may well have sponsored a racer or put money into a track, I don't know.) The track has tried implementing rules to even out the playing field, and it hasn't worked. It just pissed people off and now there's even fewer cars. The poor guys who spend hours in the garage and skip vacations with the family cannot keep up with the big buck owner's who just make a phone call and get their car fixed. Heck, a few times their driver's have wrecked and they just went and bought a new one. Who can keep up with that? Sponsor's around here are good for a few hundred bucks, if you're really lucky maybe a grand or so. And how far does that get you? It gets you tires for a few weeks, maybe some fuel. God forbid, don't wreck because then it's all over. It's everywhere, this "gotta have big money to race" mentality. I'm going to enjoy my good ol' short track as much as I can this year, because I don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling about the future. I'm thinking two years from now it's going to be a Home Depot.

Sounds like, if I had to guess, you drove by Maynard Troyer's shop.

It's the same down here in Mobile, too. The sport, at the higher levels of local tracks are being "NASCAR-ized."

But, in all fairness, it's been headed this way for years, don't you think? In the open market money buys speed and as long as owners/drivers are willing to spend the money, the builders, jobbers, performance providers will be there to take the money, as will the people they get their raw material from.

It's a never-ending circle, and will stop only when the price of racing has outpaced the spending ability of the owners/drivers.

The only possible solution I can see, right off the top of my head, is to figure a way to set some kind of limit (claiming, kit cars, crate motors, etc., etc.).

One thing which MIGHT be helping the escalation of cost is the fact so many of the mechanics of yesterday are gone. The guys who could take a small block Chevie motor, a 1/2' and 3/8 wrench, a pair of vise grips and a torque wrench and work wonders. Today (I think I'm right here, Duck and SC correct me if I'm way off base) a lot of the mechanics depend more on performance parts to make it really go, more than mechanical ingenuity. More of a bolt-on society than a fabricate one, if you will. This type of thing costs probably twice the money? The old habit of going to the junk yard for needed parts has turned into go to Jegs or deal directly with Edelbrock. That's the feeling I get talking to the guys at the local tracks, anyway.

I'm probably wrong but it seems a possibility. I doth ramble on too much. Sorry.

[SpaceCadet]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

One thing which MIGHT be helping the escalation of cost is the fact so many of the mechanics of yesterday are gone. The guys who could take a small block Chevie motor, a 1/2' and 3/8 wrench, a pair of vise grips and a torque wrench and work wonders. Today (I think I'm right here, Duck and SC correct me if I'm way off base) a lot of the mechanics depend more on performance parts to make it really go, more than mechanical ingenuity. More of a bolt-on society than a fabricate one, if you will. This type of thing costs probably twice the money? The old habit of going to the junk yard for needed parts has turned into go to Jegs or deal directly with Edelbrock. That's the feeling I get talking to the guys at the local tracks, anyway.

I'm probably wrong but it seems a possibility. I doth ramble on too much. Sorry.

No, you're not wrong, at least in the division I'm talking about. Back in the days of Jim Shampine these cars were built from scratch in the garages. Now, these machines have grown to be so sophisticated that you have to depend on performance parts. No one has a machine shop sophisticated enough to make, modify, alter, whatever, these parts. Sure, there's still plenty of stuff that you can do yourself if you've got the know how, but the top performers are all cars with the high performance bolt on parts. Now, the really top performers are the guys who can afford the best stuff AND have some wrenches that are nothing short of brilliant. Even though these teams have money, I still give them a lot of credit because they have mechanics who can put those cars back together in a week after a major wreck and still have that car running up front. They have guys that know instictively how to fix that car no matter how big or how small the problem is. I've got to respect that.