[DOF_power]

Interesting article by Jenna Fryer that just hit the wires 10/17...

Checkered future for NASCAR as economy downshifts - NewsFlash - MassLive.com

No sugar coating:

Operating costs are at an all-time high, and NASCAR's current business model calls for sponsorship dollars to make up at least 75 percent of its budget.

A decade ago, a top-name sponsor spent about $4.5 million. Today, it varies between $25 million — what Aflac Insurance reportedly will pay for sponsoring Carl Edwards next season — and the $30 million-plus that's on Earnhardt's car.

...
The most lucrative sponsorships go to the marquee drivers, and savvy owners negotiate the driver's salary into the contract. Drivers such as Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are believed to make at least $10 million a year in straight salary, and the sponsor can pay a chunk of that.
...
NASCAR believes it's still in good health and has no plans for cutting races or renegotiating any of its partnerships. Promoters are still willing to pay steep sanctioning fees — between $500,000 and $1.5 million, depending on the track, to secure a coveted Sprint Cup race. Kentucky Speedway is practically begging for a date, while Kansas Speedway is adding a hotel-casino complex to try to land a second race.
...
For most car owners, racing is their only business. As long as they don't have the same sponsorship levels as Childress, Hendrick, Gibbs and Roush, they'll never be able to beat them consistently on the track.
It's no coincidence that those top four owners claimed all 12 spots in this year's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, and their drivers have won all but four of the 31 races this season.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by DOF_power

Interesting article by Jenna Fryer that just hit the wires 10/17...
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No sugar coating:

Yeah, the AP piece was in our local fish wrapper this morning and I read it with interest.

The parrt that jumped out at me was:
As companies tighten their belts or even fail, sponsorship money that once flowed freely to all sports teams and leagues is in danger of drying up. And it's auto racing that could suffer the most, said Craig Depken, an economics professor at UNC-Charlotte who specializes in sports.

"It's primarily driven by the sponsors," Depken said, "and not just NASCAR. It's just about every motor sport there is."


IF this were true (which, after some serious thought, I doubt) it says a lot about the sanctioning bodies who prostitute the sport and themselves to the sponsors.

I just don't see the "sponsor driven" part of the statement across the board, as Depken alleges, but primarily in NA__AR top two series, Cup and Cup Lite. It is important in IRL, ARCA and ALMS to a large extent, true. Not so much so in the various professional touring series where some of the best racing happens. It's becoming a factor in the CTS, especially as a series sponsor. But a "driving factor?" Sorry, but I think that statement doesn't paint the correct picture.

F1...? The teams themselves drive F1, from my layman's point of view a heck of a lot more than the sponsors, unless you want to include the manufacturers and the teams themselves as sponsors.

All in all, the fact the Depken even makes the statement is kind of pitiful, and says a lot about the current state of the sport.

And to those following the "WHY?" Thread, this is another reason why I blast NA__AR frequently, in case my other responses confound you.