race team union

[scottgarrity07]

As was said in the article, they are trying to form a unified voice. Think about it for a minute... If you were Brian France, would it be simpler to have 1 voice speaking to you and suggesting things, or 43?

Kinda sounds like "collective bargaining" (what a union does) to me. How far will they go if their "suggestions" are not acted upon? Sounds like the Cup owners are as disenfranchised with Brian France as the rest of us are! This wouldn't even be suggested if they were all happy with the current lines of communication. Kinda provocative to announce it the same weekend as Brian and NASCAR's "State of the Sport" speech too.

[Phil Jacques]

I get your point, sir, and you have a good heart.

Hoping you are correct on all counts.

I hope so too! LOL!!! I think this will be a benefit for NASCAR in general... Now if they could give these cars a 3" ride height with no bump stops allowed and maybe even a minimum spring rate... We could see some real damn racing again instead of this aero dependant crap lol

[OldSchool+]

Correct, 1500 rules and no minimum front spring rate.

Of course, that sort of thing is rarely what teams "want".

You know, another left field thought (I am full of 'em), maybe this deal is a response to the new initiative:

"Let's save money! Everyone build new smaller motors that will probably turn 12K rpm and have no throttle response coming off the corners."--Benevolent Brian

[Phil Jacques]

Correct, 1500 rules and no minimum front spring rate.

Of course, that sort of thing is rarely what teams "want".

You know, another left field thought (I am full of 'em), maybe this deal is a response to the new initiative:

"Let's save money! Everyone build new smaller motors that will probably turn 12K rpm and have no throttle response coming off the corners."--Benevolent Brian

I never heard that one... I heard tapered spacers/restrictor plates will be the power reduction method.

[Matt Albee]

I doubt that getting a bigger share of the gate, and most importantly. a cut of of the tv billions will be first on the group's agenda. But you can bet that it's in the top ten of things to be discussed with the France family.
The last time something like this was tried, Bill France shut it down. But Brian is certainly not his father or his grand father, so the team union or whatever it is, might just get established. And then watch the fireworks.

[Phil Jacques]

Kinda sounds like "collective bargaining" (what a union does) to me. How far will they go if their "suggestions" are not acted upon? Sounds like the Cup owners are as disenfranchised with Brian France as the rest of us are! This wouldn't even be suggested if they were all happy with the current lines of communication. Kinda provocative to announce it the same weekend as Brian and NASCAR's "State of the Sport" speech too.

Brian France has turned NASCAR into a complete circus. We will have to wait and see what REALLY happens.

[scottgarrity07]

Brian France deserves what he gets on this deal. He inherited NASCAR at the height of its popularity and a slew of bad decisions have been made with him at the helm. As a result the popularity has dropped way off. Ignoring the core fan base and trying to make NASCAR international (foreign drivers) while cutting their short track support to the bare bones. Eliminating the 4 regional Late Model series. Cutting the Modifieds support. Turning the Busch North and Winston West into the K and N east and west (which turned a grassroots veterans series into a rich boy cup development series. Cutting the Weekly Racing Series points purses way back for the top division and virtually eliminating money for the lower divisions. All of these decisions have essentially kicked the "ladder" out from under american drivers seeking to move up under the NASCAR banner. Bad move not to feed your sport with new drivers. Add to that all the bad Cup decisions. Winged Car of Tomorrow, 1 1/2 mile cookie cutter boring tracks (every new track), The Chase contrived championship, eliminating the much more exciting "tandem racing", and the latest brainchild fiasco, knockout qualifying. There's a reason for all those empty seats and terrible ratings and it ain't just the economy and video games.

[OldSchool+]

The Alliance = "Hope and Change"

NASCAR = "Lean Forward"

Hey, what can possibly go wrong?

[Frasson118]

Look what happened to Indy Car racing when the car owners "wanted a bigger say in the direction of the sport"

The owners split off from USAC, started CART, and proceeded to kill the sport.

They may call it an Alliance right now, but wait till they get a whiff of power, and suggestions aren't acted upon.

[OldSchool+]

If I recall correctly, Tony George (of Indianapolis Speedway) contacted NASCAR for "assistance".

In the end, it is the Speedway's "class" now.

Essentially the same thing happened with the 24 Hours of Daytona/IMSA, although the story is told differently...

NASCAR has all the cards. The teams simply have sponsorship or they are done right now, and the sponsors want their name in front of a big audience. Period.

Push comes to shove, Tommy Baldwin's quarter panels are just as effective as Hendrick's.

All players know all of this, and am thinking they will simply get great buys on dixie cups for the coolers in the shops...

[Phil Jacques]

Even if it's for the good of our sport, it really doesn't matter right now. It's going to take so long to build up the reputation NASCAR once had, if it even can be rebuilt... I would rather spend my weekends supporting local tracks either racing or watching races instead of on the couch supporting the 3 ring circus that is NA$CAR these days...

[scottgarrity07]

Couldn't agree with you more Phil. NASCAR has become just a distraction for me on those weekends I'm either not racing or watching a local short track event. I used to see a lot of similarities between "their" racing and "ours". Not so much anymore. I've never experienced" aero push" on the 07 Sportsman...

[rdv69]

Sure sounds like a union to me doesn't much matter what you call it a group with one mouth piece is in fact a union ask your local union member if there are any left with pull. Sounds as if the teams are as tired of the same old story from NASCAR. We(NASCAR),will help every team but with less interest from the fan the teams are seeing thing that are not helping all of them and with less in the stands and less watching their money is going to disappear with out sponsors and that will hurt the little teams.

[OldSchool+]

Agree III, Scott & Phil.

IMO, the big downward decline started when they went to radial tires.

Big E hated 'em.

You look at old Grand National clips and those cars were waaaaaaay hung out--AT DAYTONA, lap after lap, and the racing was indeed more similar to the short track stuff.

[Phil Jacques]

NA$CAR does not care about us anymore. They have gotten too big for their own good...