The Rich Get Richer
February 8, 2004
Or is it the smart and aggressive that get sponsor dollars? Or is it the organization that can spread exposure to sponsors with three different racing series that gets the clients? Roger Penske is able to offer sponsors exposure in the IRL, NASCAR Nextel Cup and NASCAR Craftsman Truck racing series. And not with so-so drivers, either.
“We are delighted that drivers Rusty Wallace, Helio Castroneves, Ryan Newman, Sam Hornish, Jr., and Brendan Gaughan will be competing under a Sirius Satellite Radio banner.”
crash.net: Penske, Sirius announce agreement.
Jordans Latest Driver Rumor
February 8, 2004
That would be Italian Giorgio Pantano. I would love to know the package Giorgio brings in comparison to the deal Trust and Verstappen offered. All I know for sure is if Eddie doesn’t get a driver in the car soon and allow him to get driving time, he may as well let me pilot the car for all the good it would do.
No comments from you son on that last bit, please!
planet-f1.com: Jordan close to finalising a deal with Pantano
Part Of The Master Plan?
February 8, 2004
Maybe the reason Bernie is willing to let the small teams hover on the verge of insolvency, is to drive down the accquisition cost of buying them out. Maybe the intention is for all the small teams to become development partners for the majors. Renault buys into BAR, McLaren buys into Jordan, Williams buys into Minardi, Ferrari buys into Sauber, and Toyota buys into Jaguar. There is your guaranteed 20 cars on the grid.
Can you imagine the blocking and track shoving that would accompany that scenario?
f1central.net: Renault Ready To Team Up With Minnows
Castroneves Wrecks In IROC Practice At Daytona
February 8, 2004
The commentators of NASCAR qualifying at Daytona mentioned today that Helio Castroneves wrecked his IROC car while practicing in high winds at the Daytona Motor Speedway. He apparently received a minor knee injury, but drove back home to Miami.
Potential For Team Orders Rising
February 8, 2004
As this writer has pointed out in a previous posting, the potential for “team orders” in NASCAR will rear its ugly head, sooner then most people expect. As Nate Ryan points out in his story, “NASCAR turns Into Team Sport”, 19 teams will be under the control or influence of five owners.
McClenathan Signs With Carrier Boyz
February 8, 2004
Carrier Boyz Racing, the Bristol, Tenn.-based Top Fuel team co-owned by brothers Andy and Mark Carrier, signed veteran driver Cory McClenathan to a multi-year contract to drive the Carrier Boyz Racing Berryman Top Fuel Dragster.
“Mark and I are extremely happy that Cory McClenathan will be on board as driver of the Berryman Products dragster,” Andy said. “Cory is a proven driver that will allow our team to immediately pick-up the pace and compete with the proven teams on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Funding Problems
February 8, 2004
With only 38 teams having full sponsorship for the season, NASCAR may be racing with less then a full 43 car field for the first time since 1997. The most prominent of the teams unfunded as yet is Geoff Burton’s 99 car from the stables of Roush Racing.
“If there are new sponsorship dollars coming in, and people don’t bring those dollars to the 99 car, somebody in their marketing office needs to be smacked on top of the head,” said Burton, who picked up a two-race primary sponsorship with SKF this week for Rockingham and Atlanta. “We’re a competitive team. At our worst, we’re better than 80 percent of people at their best. It’s unfortunate we don’t have sponsorship now, but it’s my opinion we will.”
Is the lack of sponsors willing to throw 8-10 million bucks at a team symptomatic of an ailing economy, or a sport that has lost it’s marketing luster?
The change in scoring systems this year would indicate the NASCAR chiefs are very concerned about the trend. The change in points scoring is a proactive attempt to avert a potential trend from turning into massive losses.
timesdispatch.com: Several teams feel cash crunch
W.J. wins Pontiac Pro Stock Super Bowl
February 8, 2004
Warren Johnson showed up late to the Pontiac Pro Stock Super Bowl, then got his new rig stuck in the mud at Houston Raceway Park, causing him to miss one of the two scheduled qualifying sessions. But the pair of distractions did little to slow his GM Performance Parts Grand Am once it hit the pavement. Johnson posted a 6.681-second pass to secure the No. 1 qualifying slot before deftly driving through the field for the $2,500 Super Bowl title…
NHRA.com: W.J. wins Pontiac Pro Stock Super Bowl
RacingOne.com: W.J. Wins Pro Stock Super Bowl
No One Talking About Gordon…
February 8, 2004
…and thats the way Jeff likes it. Keep me out of the spot light and let me drive. Jeff should have a better then reasonable chance to garner his fifth title overall and the first Nextel Cup championship. At last nights Bud Shootout, Jeff looked in contention for the win all race long. As at all superspeedway events, you need friends to get to the front, which he seemed lacking.
timesdispatch.com: Gordon’s drive for five
journalnow.com: Edge: New points rules could work in Gordon’s favor
Said Survives Shootout
February 8, 2004
Boris Said managed a 10th place finish from an 8th place start at Saturday’s Daytona Bud Shootout. Not bad from a road racing specialist on his first superspeedway race.
“I was trying to get a feel for everything, but that’s pretty much impossible in a race like this,” Said said. “By the second lap, I was three-wide out there and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’
“I have to admit I was a little nervous then. I’d be lying if I said anything different.”
I think the reality of his concern was a little more extreme then Boris will admit. I particularly enjoyed crew chief Ryan Pemberton’s comment that when Boris found himself in the middle during the opening laps, “he was screaming like a girl..”
news-journalonline.com: Said settles in with 10th place