NASCAR, the Economy and 2003

By Orlena Miller

December 26, 2002

Christmas is over, 2003 is only days away and the new NASCAR season starts in less than two months. I don’t have a crystal ball and no one is paying me $2.99 a minute for my predictions. However, there is one prognostication I feel comfortable declaring. The economy is going to be big news in the upcoming year, on and off the racetrack.

Recently NASCAR has enjoyed phenomenal growth. However, the party could be over. At several races last season, most notably the fall race at Charlotte, entire sections of seats were unoccupied. The discretionary income of a large portion of the fan base has been shrinking steadily. It is quite possible NASCAR has finally priced Joe Average out of the sport. As the cost of living rises attendance will continue to decrease.

Sponsor dollars are also going to become more precious as the purse strings draw tighter. Last week when Conseco filed for bankruptcy A. J. Foyt’s race team lost their sponsor. Two Winston Cup teams were closed last season when the same thing happened at K-Mart. While the return on the dollar is still fairly healthy in Winston Cup sponsors want results and they want them quickly. As teams struggle for success the game of musical rides we witnessed in 2002 will continue. We will have drivers and crew chiefs changing jobs before mid-season.

I’m afraid the impact of a weak economy will be far greater in NASCAR’s other series. The pundits who believe Winston Cup drivers should stay out of Busch races will have to resign themselves to their fate this season. There may not be a Busch Series if Cup drivers didn’t compete. There are few stars to draw a crowd to NBS events. For the same reason, more Cup drivers will be dabbling in the Craftsman Truck Series.

When teams worked on the budget for the 2003 season I hope they allowed a healthy amount for fines. NASCAR put the competitors on notice last year, if the rulebook says one eighth of an inch it means one eighth of an inch. The slightest infraction is going to be costly. Less specific is the "conduct detrimental to stock car racing" rule. This pretty well covers anything from letting a four-letter word slip out to throwing a punch at Mike Helton. Hardly a race will pass without a substantial fine or points deduction being levied on some poor driver or team. And it’s not just the sanctioning body passing out fines. Remember, The Home Depot fined Tony Stewart $50,000 after one of his donnybrooks. Zero tolerance will become a way of life for race teams.

Not all the ramifications of a weak economy need to be negative. Perhaps NASCAR will finally aggressively address the problem of aero push. Talk about detrimental to stock car racing! This aerodynamic phenomenon is ruining competition; passing is becoming all but impossible. Races frequently become boring, follow the leader affairs. Is there any wonder seats are empty? The Daytona Gang should spend less time in the wind tunnel and more time at the track. When competition is keen and the racing close the sport will grow, even in a weak economy.

You can contact Orlena at: Insider Racing News

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