[Racer Duck]

This subject was brought up in another thread, and the more I thought about it, the more I thought it should be a subject for a GTG Poll.

So here's the question:

What should NASCAR do in response to the high cost of gasoline? And what result would you expect?

I've included my ideas in the poll, but feel free to append yours to this thread.

[Bob Tanner]

Whenever car sales go down the car dealers cut prices (kind of; it appears that they do, to the average person, anyway), give rebates and slash interest.

How about some really old gimmicks?

Cutting the cost of tickets
One complimentary hot dog and rink for each ticket buyer.
Go to the old "Lucky Number Program" (remember those?) type of deal. Have drawings before the pre-race program for varying amounts of free Sunoco gasoline. (250 gallons, 100 gallons, etc., etc.)

As far as the teams go, cut engine size. Possibly going as far as running 6 cyl. engines. Run stock engines with factory optional parts.

DO NOT go with corn-based ethanol fuel. It's not economical, reduces performance and corn based ethanol is at least partly responsible for the high food prices which is keeping many people from attending the races.

Go on. throw the bricks...

[Quality88]

The cost of gas is not their problem.... it's the idiots in Washington that should be fixin it.

[The Dude]

If they can score it with out paying money I don't see why not. As mentioned above, it's not their job to deal with it, for them it should be business as usual.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Whenever car sales go down the car dealers cut prices (kind of; it appears that they do, to the average person, anyway), give rebates and slash interest.

How about some really old gimmicks?

Cutting the cost of tickets
One complimentary hot dog and rink for each ticket buyer.
Go to the old "Lucky Number Program" (remember those?) type of deal. Have drawings before the pre-race program for varying amounts of free Sunoco gasoline. (250 gallons, 100 gallons, etc., etc.)

As far as the teams go, cut engine size. Possibly going as far as running 6 cyl. engines. Run stock engines with factory optional parts.

DO NOT go with corn-based ethanol fuel. It's not economical, reduces performance and corn based ethanol is at least partly responsible for the high food prices which is keeping many people from attending the races.

Go on. throw the bricks...

corn-based ethanol burns to dang fast..... gas milage would suck worse than it does.

[Bette]

hmm, not being a racing fan and not knowing how the prices are affecting the sport, I cant really make an intelligent decision here but the subject intrigues me. I will be watching to see what fans say.
The NFL is struggling with economical issues also.
I kind of like Bob Tanner's remark about limiting engine size to help. And factory parts. But then again to me that kind of limits the teams' creativity. Kind of thinking maybe I could enter my Sebring.



PS in the end, I went with nothing. Its not their job to solve.

[Bob Tanner]

[quote=Bette;290561]hmm, not being a racing fan and not knowing how the prices are affecting the sport, I cant really make an intelligent decision here but the subject intrigues me. I will be watching to see what fans say.
The NFL is struggling with economical issues also.
I kind of like Bob Tanner's remark about limiting engine size to help. And factory parts. But then again to me that kind of limits the teams' creativity. Kind of thinking maybe I could enter my Sebring.



PS in the end, I went with nothing. Its not their job to solve.[/QUOTE]

100% correct. IMNSVHO the very best thing the Imperial Government could do is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. It's not the oil companies driving up the cost per barrel, it's the speculators. That's driven, in turn, by free enterprise and that's driven, simply by the Laws of Supply and Demand.
If supply goes up, or conversely if demand goes down, prices will decrease. Other than allowing drilling and new refineries and nuke power plants to be built, the government doesn't belong anywhere in the equation. Our government never saw a problem it could make worse.

Soapbox Mode <OFF>

[Measure]

The main problems causing Gas prices to go up is increased demand in China, and supply issues.

NASCAR has little to do with the situation, though the higher prices are affecting the teams, as they get free gas on the track, but not off the track, and they have a ton of equipment and people to move to each event.

One of the things hurting the small teams this year is the high gas prices off the track.

[saltysenior]

the amount of fuel used by the cars during a race is a drop in the bucket when compared to the other fuel usage for a race to be put on....team , drivers,and owners planes....team car haulers and motor homes...vendors rigs,......lighting at some tracks...not to mention the fuel used by the people driving to the race..........do the math.. 7mpg div.into 500mi.=71.4gal used each car.......71.4gal. times 40 cars=2857 gals. used by the race cars....does any one know how much fuel one private jet uses to fly from n.c to n.h., and back.[not counting the stop in n.y.c..].................seeing how nobody lives in n.h.,i would guess each car going to the race uses 20 gals.....how many cars????

[bob101]

I hate to even see threads and talk like this PERIOD.

Anyone else old enough to remember the Daytona 450 instead of 500 because they were trying to save gas. Even for a full race weekend a team would spend less on race fuel (which isn't cheap - I know I buy VP race gas for drag cars) is miniscule compared to what they spend on fuel for haulers if they race anywhere but Charlotte, fuel for the 15 "courtesy" cars they get for the team use on a weekend, and don't even begin to think about fuel in a plane/helicopter.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by bob101

I hate to even see threads and talk like this PERIOD.

Anyone else old enough to remember the Daytona 450 instead of 500 because they were trying to save gas. Even for a full race weekend a team would spend less on race fuel (which isn't cheap - I know I buy VP race gas for drag cars) is minuscule compared to what they spend on fuel for haulers if they race anywhere but Charlotte, fuel for the 15 "courtesy" cars they get for the team use on a weekend, and don't even begin to think about fuel in a plane/helicopter.

Excellent points, bob.

But, I read Duck's poll as, "What is NA__AR going to do to bring customers to the track?" The amount of fuel used by the teams is independent of the overall fuel problem, as I see it. The biggest, richer teams will just spend more an fuel and write it off as an expense.

The amount of fuel NA__AR contributes to the fuel problem is minuscule, compared to the amount of diesel fuel alone wasted in a single day at all the truck stops and loadong docks across the country by idling big trucks. (Which is completely justified, by the way)

[loco4pablo]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Excellent points, bob.

But, I read Duck's poll as, "What is NA__AR going to do to bring customers to the track?" The amount of fuel used by the teams is independent of the overall fuel problem, as I see it. The biggest, richer teams will just spend more an fuel and write it off as an expense.

The amount of fuel NA__AR contributes to the fuel problem is minuscule, compared to the amount of diesel fuel alone wasted in a single day at all the truck stops and loadong docks across the country by idling big trucks. (Which is completely justified, by the way)

How do you bring fan's back to the track??? Black out every race within a 150 mile radius of the event!! Works for the Dolphins here in Miami!!

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by loco4pablo

How do you bring fan's back to the track??? Black out every race within a 150 mile radius of the event!! Works for the Dolphins here in Miami!!

Hmmm...? That would endear NA__AR to the hearts of many. That would also kill the demographic NA__AR targets, which lives within the 150 mile area.

Remember, football is an established sport. NA__AR is still growing a fan base, especially since so many of us feel disenfranchised by the direction NA__AR has taken and are rather apathetic about spending money on things related to NA__AR.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by bob101

I hate to even see threads and talk like this PERIOD.

Anyone else old enough to remember the Daytona 450 instead of 500 because they were trying to save gas. Even for a full race weekend a team would spend less on race fuel (which isn't cheap - I know I buy VP race gas for drag cars) is miniscule compared to what they spend on fuel for haulers if they race anywhere but Charlotte, fuel for the 15 "courtesy" cars they get for the team use on a weekend, and don't even begin to think about fuel in a plane/helicopter.

Bob, I suspect we're both paying around $8 a gallon for race gas. And, compared to some other expenses we have to take care of in order to race, fuel is one of the cheaper items. That said, I still think it's a shame the little guys have to pay for fuel while the the premier series in NASCAR gets as much as they want for free.

someone in a previous post calculated they use a bit over 70 gallons for a race, but that's quite a bit short-sighted 'cause it doesn't include practice nor qualifying. then there's all the testing (you think they're gonna plop down greenbacks for test fuel when they can get as much as they want for free at a race?)

no, the amount used by the race cars for a race will not put a dent into anything. nor will the revenue derived from selling the fuel rather than giving it away pay for much. funny thing is, that fuel is taking up capacity in the refineries that regular car/truck fuel could occupy...

now, if NASCAR wanted to do something about the high cost of fuel, they'd twist Sunoco's arm and get free hauler fuel for the teams too!

[DOF_power]

1] shorten the races (most of them)
2] change the engines (smaller more efficient; 500 hp max; direct injection + maybe turbos + ECU + variable intake/valve timing/exhaust; good for efficiency and driver foot modulation vs. the restrictor plate nonsense)
3] reduce the aero-drag (again good for efficiency)
4] change the gearboxes/transmissions (again good for efficiency)
5] regulate the amount of fuel used and ban refueling (except for the few long races)
6] maybe go for some other fuel, but no corn/food ethanol nonsense