race team union

[egspeedway]

Eliminate pre race day and practice. Yes you lose some tv time but who is watching. Make every show a one day deal. I like the idea of limit of 5 rollers at any time and no new ones unless a car is retired from the active fleet.Reduce ticket prices until you see an increase of attendance on a sustained basis. Offer package deals for multiple shows. Actually this list would be endless if it was prepared by a financial expert.

[Matt Albee]

I still don't believe this move has anything to do with cost savings. I think it has everything to do with eventual franchising and getting a piece of the tv and sponsorship money.
I think we all know that the NASCAR teams will continue to try to outspend each other, not only on the track, but in the fanciest shops, biggest owner/driver motorhomes, and in the case of Gannasi, buying your own mountain tunnel to use for aero testing.
This is all about leverage to get more of the pie.

[OldSchool+]

Bruton Smith agrees. Bruton and NASCAR have often butted heads over the years, but in this case there is no dissention:

"What I know about it, of course I don't like it...If NASCAR needs us, we're there with NASCAR on the deal. We're there every day, every hour, if they need us."--B Smith

[egspeedway]

Money the true pagan god that rules the world.

[OldSchool+]

Anything and everything can fall under that category if we choose to let it. Pride is very popular, for instance.

My take is that one can make as much or as little as they also choose, and spend it how they choose in the US--including making enough to go racing.

Without a freely earned currency, things devolve into a King-and-serfs hierarchy, and the King typically ain't into racing.

Equal opportunity we have, the outcome is up to each of us.

[Jimmy McKinley]

My friend at work and I were talking about this the other day.

Remember "back in the day" when you could associate your favorite driver *with* HIS car number, colors, sponsors, and make/model of car?

Remember when there was no such thing as a "special" paint scheme? Then, when those started showing up, it was a once-a-year type deal (for the Clash, for the Winston, for Daytona)?

Nowadays, a single sponsor won't sustain a whole team for an entire season, so, even the multi-car teams (Hendrick, JGR, Childress, SHR, etc.) and smaller teams are running a different paint scheme and different sponsor *every* week. You can hardly keep up with who's in what car every week any more. :/ NA$CAR - and $$$ - has reduced even full-time, big-name sponsors to part-time.

[Winger]

My friend at work and I were talking about this the other day.

Remember "back in the day" when you could associate your favorite driver *with* HIS car number, colors, sponsors, and make/model of car?

Remember when there was no such thing as a "special" paint scheme? Then, when those started showing up, it was a once-a-year type deal (for the Clash, for the Winston, for Daytona)?

Nowadays, a single sponsor won't sustain a whole team for an entire season, so, even the multi-car teams (Hendrick, JGR, Childress, SHR, etc.) and smaller teams are running a different paint scheme and different sponsor *every* week. You can hardly keep up with who's in what car every week any more. :/ NA$CAR - and $$$ - has reduced even full-time, big-name sponsors to part-time.

I've got so I don't really watch the races either. But, when I do, I really have a hard time telling who is who. Paint schemes seem to be different every time I watch and you can not often see the numbers. I know they're changing schemes for the sponsor, but I think it may hurt the sport also.

[Frasson118]

Totally agreeing here. Back in the day, I could identify an entire field of 43 just by color/sponsor ID's
I went to the 400 the other day, and spent half of the time trying to train my mind on who was in each car.

[egspeedway]

Totally agreeing here. Back in the day, I could identify an entire field of 43 just by color/sponsor ID's
I went to the 400 the other day, and spent half of the time trying to train my mind on who was in each car.

I have given up on visual ID and now rely solely on number when it can be seen coupled with the live stream on TV. Now if we could get the TV producers to just stream the cars on the same lap for say the last twenty laps it could then actually be user friendly. The cars after that are redundant news anyway.

[Benny The Mule]

Headline;

"Breaking News! Drivers and teams go on strike until demands are met!"

Ya, That will make everything better.....................

[OldSchool+]

NASCAR headline immediately below it: sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!

Racing as usual, see the new stars of the sport that truly love racing!

All seats $50--Get 'em while they last!

[scottgarrity07]

So it has been reported today that both sides have "lawyered up". NA$CAR announced that the RTA can only communicate to them and ISC through their lawyers. Let the ugliness begin...

[OldSchool+]

Scott,

Am probably admittedly "pro NASCAR" in this deal, but I think it may actually reduce public airing of laundry.

Instead of a a "he said/she said" soap opera every week the discussions (if any) will be behind closed doors.

I say "if any" because I don't think there is much to discuss.

NASCAR (as made up per me): "We are having a race, just like Showtime, and here is the posted prize money. You are welcome to attend--or not--your choice."

IF the RTA wants more of the pie (which is speculation), it would be analogous to shopper's demanding lower prices from Walmart, or street stock drivers wanting more from Showtime.

No legal foundation to force Yoho into anything. In fact, unlike Tony George, I doubt Robert would need to consult with NASCAR to decide on his strategy...

[scottgarrity07]

I am not pro for either side in this case. Like Matt Albee, I am starting to "smell" the fishy aroma of franchising as the underlying goal of the RTA. I think NASCAR is too, hence the "talk to us through our lawyers" approach. The RTA talks about long term stability for the teams. Franchising does just that. Problem is NASCAR becomes a closed-door old boy network. Thus eliminating the "show up and race" concept (like towing a Street Stock to Showtime). I really don't care in the end. I'm not going to cry in my milk if they all let their greed ruin their sport. All these millionaires will be just fine one way or the other. NASCAR turned their back on local short track racing a long time ago, so I don't think if NASCAR collapsed it would hurt us (probably even gain a bunch of fans). When NASCAR killed off just about all of their regional series, new ones just sprang up that are non-NASCAR. And when NASCAR sent the sanction fee through the roof for local speedways for Modified Tour events a new (and now nearly as successful) Modified Tour was created. We, as local racers, don't need NASCAR, but they do need us (as a talent pool). I will say that the local Speedway sanction that NASCAR offers (like New Smyrna has) is a great deal for the racers in terms of the Health Insurance provision if you are a license holder. But a lot of the benefits that used to come with being a NASCAR sanctioned track have vanished too.

[OldSchool+]

In the world of "what if"...

Scott mentions: "All of [NASCAR's decisions in recent history] have essentially kicked the "ladder" out from under american drivers seeking to move up under the NASCAR banner...I used to see a lot of similarities between "their" racing and "ours". Not so much anymore."

To take the whole deal to the extreme, "what if" the RTA strikes, NASCAR "bans" them all, and the already tenuous fan count and TV viewership plummets.

I could see the whole deal racheting back to the 90's, with short track racer-based teams and drivers that have moved up to the big time, on shorter tracks with better racing and packed grandstands.

No downside for me-maybe for all of the current fat cats, but not me...