Money and racing

“Money makes the world go ‘round…That klinking, clanking sound.”
Or “Money makes the cars go ‘round.” Could that klinking clanking sound we hear be NASCAR shops closing the doors and locking up?
The Associated Press reported Thursday big-money sponsors of the past are rethinking in light of today’s economy. Major race teams have been taking on outside partners. That’s what’s happened to Roush Racing and Evernham Motorsports.
Have we noticed a dual sponsorship for Jack’s #99 – Office Depot and Aflac? Next season, Office Depot jumps off the Roush Fenway ship for Stewart-Haas to slap it’s name on Tony’s #14.
But even that will be a split sponsorship with Old Spice.
Army has been with Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s #8 driven by Mark Martin. They, too, are heading to another pasture, Stewart-Haas’ second car driven by Ryan Newman. And that’s only for 23 races. There are still 13 to sell.
Sponsorships have been getting harder to come by as their contracts with teams expire. They aren’t so fast to climb back on board.
More than that, people lose jobs. Ganassi Racing dropped 30 jobs shutting down Dario Franchitti’s car due to lack of sponsorship. When DEI took on Ginn Racing last year, 100 people at Ginn became unemployed.
A year ago, more than 50 cars would show up to qualify. Next year, who knows?
Gentleman Jeff Burton, recognized and respected as one of the leaders in the garage, said it’s a big sacrifice for fans to come to races with today’s expense. Tracks are making concessions by offering big time package deals like 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas for a set price affordable to most racefan families.
Burton said it would be a shame to have folks come to a race, plunk down their hard-earned money and get a sub-par performance from the cars on the track.
He’s right.
We’ve been prophesizing the downfall of NASCAR for a long time. Fans may not want to admit it, but the proof is showing. Tracks with far less than sell-outs. Track presidents are offering serious deals to put fannies in the seats. There’s the all-you-can-eat section, the aforementioned family pack, which if I remember includes a coupon for a free 12-pack of Coke product from a convenient store for the trip home. Big-name pre-race concerts other than at the All Star Challenge.
Yes, tickets at the races are pricey. My friends joked I would rent a car, drive 5 hours, spend a couple of nights in a hotel and pay $130 for a seat to a race, but I refused to drive 1 hour in my own car, sleep at home that night and pay $90 to see the Eagles (an all-time favorite) in concert, an event of roughly the same amount of time.
Bringing a track-legal cooler of your favorite drink and putting snacks and a value meal from McDonalds or Wendy’s or wherever you like in your backpack help. But it’s still overall out of reach for many fans.
Step up, track presidents and marketing directors. If you get the fans in the stands, sponsorship for the cars becomes a little easier. Give corporate America the numbers – sets of eyes seeing the traveling commercials, and they will come.