October 5, 2009
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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Before the season began, there was a lot of concern about how the economy would affect NASCAR. While it has caused some major changes to the sport and still is affecting teams and sponsors alike, the economy has not hit NASCAR as hard as many people feared.
A lot of teams were forced to merge during the off-season and some still are in the process of merging, namely Richard Petty Motorsports. The iconic Petty Enterprises, which had existed in NASCAR since the early days of the sport, was forced to merge with Gillette Evernham Racing last year, and Richard Petty Motorsports was born. Now, Petty is planning to merge with Yates Racing for the 2010 season, but the new team will still be named Richard Petty Motorsports.
As more and more teams merge with each other, they are still limited to a maximum of four cars per team; so many drivers find themselves out in the cold when it comes to having a ride for next season.
According to the NASCAR rule, Roush Fenway Racing, who currently fields five cars, will have to trim back to four. Since Roush and Yates both race Fords, it was originally thought that the driver, Jamie McMurray, and the sponsor would go to Yates Racing. However, Yates merger with Richard Petty Motorsports eliminates that idea.
Earlier this year, Chrysler, a company that competes in NASCAR under its Dodge brand, filed for bankruptcy. In the process, its payments to its NASCAR teams stopped altogether, perhaps one of the reasons for the Petty/Yates merger. The new team will be racing Fords next year.
"This is a pretty big deal for us," Richard Petty was quoted as saying in an article on nascar.com. "We're thrilled to partner with Ford. We've talked with a lot of folks, but in the end it came down to the success the Gilletts and I think we can achieve with Ford Racing."
As a result of the merger, drivers Reed Sorenson and Bobby Labonte will be looking for rides next season. The new team will field cars for Kasey Kahne, A. J. Allmendinger, Elliot Sadler, and Paul Menard.
Not only are teams still merging with each other, but some major sponsors are jumping off the NASCAR bandwagon. Both Jack Daniels and Jim Beam have announced they will no longer be sponsoring cars next season.
Jack Daniels withdrawal from the sport creates a hole at Richard Childress Racing. The effect on RCR won't be felt nearly as hard as Jim Beam's loss will at Robby Gordon Motorsports. However, both teams will be forced to find new sponsors in today's dismal economy or else will be forced to make some serious cuts.
Another major change that NASCAR officials are currently considering is the possibility of cutting back from a three day race weekend to just two days. The move would save money for teams and tracks alike by cutting back on employee wages, possibly leading to lower ticket prices, and it would also save fans that travel to the races money because they wouldn't have to spend as much on lodging.
The downside to a two day race weekend is that it gives less leeway for weather. If it rains on Saturday, both practice and qualifying could be rained out and teams would be forced to race on Sunday with absolutely no track time at all.
The economy is still having a major affect on NASCAR, and will continue to do so, but the sport will be here when the economy does turn around. It just might not be the same NASCAR that fans have grown accustomed to.
If you would like to learn more about Matthew, please check out his web site at matthew-pizzolato.com.
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