NASCAR Daily News Headlines * November 26, 2008

Hendrick Sues DEI

As part of the merger, DEI and Ginn Racing signed a termination agreement to a contract that was originally signed by Ginn in 2006.The termination agreement required payments to HMS of $1.754 million by July 31, 2007, and $1.5 million by Nov. 15, 2008, according to the suit. The first payment was made on time. The second payment has not been made, according to the suit. (scenedaily.com)

FOX-ESPN Cut Cost

“It’s really going to be a half-day seminar on how we can think differently, approach the market differently and provide different opportunities for advertisers,” said Paul Brooks, president of the NASCAR Media Group, from the NASCAR hauler during last week’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “What are we missing? What can we do better? We want to make sure we’re looking through all of those opportunities.”

On the production side, Brooks said the sanctioning body will work with Fox to find savings as long as the viewers won’t notice a difference.

“There are additional things we can look at as far as sharing and managing facilities in an even more efficient way,” Brooks said. Can broadcasters get by with 55 cameras instead of 60? Can they share a production truck over the course of a weekend instead of using multiple trucks? Those are the kinds of cuts the networks will weigh.

“It’s something we’re very cognizant of,” said Rich Feinberg, ESPN’s vice president of motorsports. “Every business has been affected by the economy, and we’re just trying to stay ahead of those things. Our content will still be there, but we’ve got to take a closer look at how we acquire that content. Are there areas where we can be flexible?”

The combined TV rights fee for Fox, ESPN and Turner averages $560 million a year through 2014. Additionally, each of the networks has a multimillion-dollar spend with NASCAR Media Group, which manages the TV compound at each venue and provides additional content, such as unique camera angles and audio.(scenedaily.com)

Broadcast Balance To Stay As Is

“We think the balance as it is today is good,” Brooks said. “We worked hard as we put our TV plans in place to ensure the greatest coverage available for the sport. … We have assurances that the balance will be there moving forward.”

That doesn’t mean the lobbying will stop. Contractually, ESPN does not have the freedom to move the final 11 Cup races off ABC to ESPN. The first six Cup races of its 17-race schedule are already on ESPN.(scenedaily.com)

AT&T Goes Quietly

With Cingular’s rebranding to AT&T, the Richard Childress Racing sponsor was bumped out of the Sprint Cup Series by NASCAR and its series title sponsor, Sprint. McGhee said it has not been decided whether AT&T will continue its substantial advertising on NASCAR broadcasts. (scenedaily.com)

Teresa Earnhardt No. 60 On Most Beautiful List

Following the death of her husband, Dale, Teresa Earnhardt assumed the leadership of Dale Earnhardt Inc., the NASCAR enterprise the couple was building in anticipation of the day he stopped driving.

With the move, Teresa became one of the most powerful women in racing.

Controversy sparked in 2007 when Teresa and her stepson, Dale Jr., couldn't agree to terms of a new contract, which led to NASCAR's most popular driver leaving DEI for Hendrick Motorsports. However, DEI has succeeded despite Junior's departure, fielding four full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, including cars for drivers Martin Truex Jr. and Mark Martin. The team has since announced a merger with Chip Ganassi Racing, to take effect in 2009.

Earnhardt, who was born in Hickory, N.C., was married to Dale Sr. for 17 years before his death. She is also the stepmother of Kerry Earnhardt (a former NASCAR Nationwide Series driver who now works as a consultant for DEI) and JR Motorsports president Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, who's No. 56 on this list.(scenedaily.com)