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How To Fix NASCAR: 3. Three-Car Limit by the End of 2010

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and pictures,2010 NASCAR schedule,NASCAR video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I do weekly Fantasy Pick'Em columns here at OPR, as well as the occasional opinion and analysis piece. I also provide the IZOD IndyCar Series coverage. For more on that, head to my site, OpenWheelAmerica.com. My Twitter handle is @christopherlion.

December 31, 2008 10:57 pm CST 2 Comments

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Happy New Year folks, and it’s time for another installment of How To Fix NASCAR. Having already trimmed schedules and fixed NASCAR’s top tier development series, it’s time to ensure that the top levels of American motorsport move away from the elitism of Formula One, by ironically implementing something that that series has had in place for years: a hard cap of three cars per team (per series, seeing as NASCAR has multiple levels and F1 has… well… one).

The issue with a team cap lies in owners’ willingness to undo some of the expansion they have done over the past few years, expansion that many of them (like Jack Roush) can surely sustain. However, the sport is heading more and more in an elitist direction, where the top four or five teams are lightyears ahead of everybody else (like McLaren and Ferrari in F1). That only hurts the sport in the end, by stealing sponsors away from the have-nots: either they’ll sign for fewer races and less money with the haves, or put their money elsewhere.

Roush is already dealing with the elimination of his fifth car, probably Jamie McMurray’s No. 26, by the end of 2009. However, almost all of the other major players in the sport (Hendrick, Childress, Gillett after the merger with Petty, EGR) will still have four cars as well. Joe Gibbs has three, Roger Penske has three, and even Doug Yates is planning on three cars for next season. That’s a total of 30 cars among eight teams. That gives the newcomer a snowball’s chance in hell at signing a good driver, crew, or sponsor.

To limit teams to two cars would be a disaster, and probably turn out just like F1, with Hendrick like the Ferrari team and Roush akin to McLaren. The superteams would be able to shift five cars’ worth of resources and money to the remaining two teams, and we’d see races where only four cars had a reasonable shot at winning. But to limit teams to three cars would provide a fair balance: sure, the rich would shift their incredible resources to make their few teams stronger, but the drivers and crewmembers they released would go to smaller teams and, in turn, make them more competitive.

Let’s use Roush as an example, and assume that they would keep David Ragan, Greg Biffle, and Carl Edwards. McMurray has been rumored to go to Yates in 2010 for a while anyway, but assumedly they would also send over Matt Kenseth in this situation. A Yates team with Kenseth, McMurray, and the steadily improving Paul Menard would have a much better shot at reclaiming the team’s past glory than Menard, Travis Kvapil, and David Gilliland. And with three fully sponsored cars, Roush could concentrate on building up the other struggling Ford team, the Wood Brothers‘ No. 21.

How about the other superpower of the sport, Hendrick Motorsports? Sure, you could say they wouldn’t suffer much, if only Mark Martin ended up leaving the team after 2009. But some other team could certainly use his leadership and skill, and you know he wouldn’t be unemployed for long. Neither would crew chief Alan Gustafson. I’m thinking they’d end up at Stewart Haas, personally - it’s already going to become Hendrick 2.

At RCR, I suppose getting rid of Casey Mears wouldn’t provide too much help to a smaller team, but at least it’d potentially reunite Clint Bowyer with Jack Daniel’s. (I’m sorry, General Mills, but I don’t think anyone sees Clint as a cereal guy.) The only question is, would Mears be any more than damaged goods? Assuming this were to happen, it would be his sixth team in seven years (Ganassi’s No. 41 in ‘05, the No. 42 in ‘06, Hendrick’s No. 25 in ‘07, the No. 5 in ‘08, RCR’s No. 07 in ‘09 and ‘10…). I suppose that at least it proves he’s a commodity, but the guy already has more firesuits in his closet than some teams have won races.

While this wouldn’t have much of an effect on the Camping World Truck Series, it would limit Nationwide Series owners to only running one car for the owners’ championship (see the last installment). Because running a car for the owners’ title would require a minimum of one unshared car to go alongside it, and no less, the three-car teams would have to run two cars for the drivers’ championship, opening up even more spots for development drivers to hone their skills.

So on and so forth down the line, very good (but not spectacular) drivers would be cut from the sport’s most prominent teams, landing on their feet with second-tier teams with much less talent behind the wheel. Those guys would then get bumped down to the third-tier teams, and so on and so forth. Not only would the guys who really don’t deserve their rides disappear, the driving talent, skilled crewmen, and the sponsors would disperse to level out the playing field.

Before anyone says anything: We all know that the only reason the sponsors all flock to the superteams is because current NASCAR rules don’t really limit where they can go. Roush can just create another team in Nationwide or CWTS if a new sponsor wants to join his operation, or sign them for a handful of races with Edwards or Kenseth. Under this system, those spots would vanish pretty quickly. Since many of the companies who want to get involved in racing do so because they feel that NASCAR fans are an important target market, those sponsors will stay in the sport. They’ll just find other teams to work with.

Of course, some of you are still probably asking, “How does this change anything if the top drivers would just go to their old teams’ satellite operations?” By adding a truckload of extra talent and sponsorship dollars to these satellite teams, they find themselves in a situation where they may no longer be so far behind their providers. With a little luck and some decent results, these teams will have the resources to break off and race on their own again.

That’s all for this installment. I’m going to go watch the New Year’s Eve TV specials. See you in two weeks!

Filed under: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, NASCAR, Penske Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Robert Yates Racing, Roush Racing, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing

Tagged with: How to fix NASCAR

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Gillett-Evernham Restructures Again

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Charlie likes to call me an "idiot". I'm not an "idiot"; I just prefer not to let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

December 29, 2008 7:56 am CST 7 Comments

Elliott Sadler and Ray Evernham are out at the former Gillett-Evernham Motorsports.

ESPN.com has reported that both Sadler and Evernham have severed ties with the team that Evernham built from the ground up when Chrysler Corporation re-entered NASCAR Cup racing. Evernham was the face and brawn behind Chrysler’s return in 2001. Now it appears that Ray has taken his car owner’s trophy that Bill Elliott won for him at the Brickyard 400, and cleared out his office.

After selling majority ownership to George Gillett, Evernham has been less and less involved in the running of the team that bore his name. Things were so bad at one point that his drivers, Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler called for more of a presence of Evernham at the race track to try and right the listing ship.

Not only has Evernham cleared out his desk; but Sadler has been given the boot as well. Sadler has never lived up to his perceived potential after making the move from Yates Racing to replace Jeremy Mayfield. AJ Allmendinger will drive the #19 in 2009. Dinger had been slated to run the #10 next year, but it appears that funding for that ride may not be materializing. So Sadler could take his higher salary to one of the few remaining open seats in the Cup Series. The #41 is still open at Earnhardt-Ganassi and there are further rumors that the #77 at Penske may open up. Helio Castroneves‘ IRL ride may be open if he can’t thwart pending jail time for tax issues; with Sam Hornish, Jr. returning to the open wheel ranks.

This all leads us to this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Will the “Back to Basics” credo of Brian France from 2008 eventually result in NASCAR teams returning to a more traditional driver and ownership model?

Let us know what you think and we could use your comments on a future edition of ON PIT ROW, the radio show. Listen live Tuesdays from 5-7pm ET at www.onpitrow.com

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: A J Allmendinger, Chase for the Cup, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Evernham Motorsports, Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Indy Cars, Jeremy Mayfield, Kasey Kahne, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR Rumors, Nascar Legends, Sam Hornish Jr

Tagged with: AJ Almendinger, Elliott Sadler, Ganassi-Earnhardt Racing, Helio Castroneves, Jeremy Mayfield, Ray Evernham, Sam Hornish Jr

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TOAD Tire Company

by Art Almond, Special To NASCAR commentary and pictures,2010 NASCAR schedule,NASCAR video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Awright y'all... I'm tha crazy dude that is known as... "Drawer-Dude" I draw funny pictures of this racin' cartoon character that I created... known as "PIT-ROAD-TOAD! You can see more Toad-Toons at my blog site... RACIN' RUCKUS

December 20, 2008 10:18 pm CST 1 Comment

LOOK-OUT GOODYEAR!

Filed under: Comics, NASCAR Tech, Nextel Cup Series, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Pit Road Toad

Tagged with: Art Almond, Pit Road Toad

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Tha TOAD Talks Weldin’

by Art Almond, Special To NASCAR commentary and pictures,2010 NASCAR schedule,NASCAR video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

December 18, 2008 2:55 am CST 1 Comment

NASCAR teams employ what are known as fabricators to construct the basic chassis for each race car. These fabricators are often referred to as “The boys back at the shop” by the drivers. Constructing a SPRINT or NATIONWIDE level race car is a very precise process. Many teams use laser alignment, and sophisticated jigs to expedite this process.

The materials used are 3X4-in. rectangular steel tubing for the frame, and 1¾-in. diameter seamless steel tubing for the roll cage. Once the basic frame and roll cage are constructed… the whole thing is covered in 24 gage sheet steel.

All this requires very precise and clean welding. Race team’s use MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welders as well as TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welders to accomplish this task.

Fabrication is also done at the track on race day if the car is damaged. Most teams have what is known as a “Crash Cart” with spare parts, a welder, and materials to make the necessary repairs.

Below… The TOAD demonstrates the use of a typical MIG welder he has… ahh… borrowed from one of the teams in Mooresville, NC!

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

Filed under: Comics, NASCAR, NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR Tech, Nascaholics, Nextel Cup Series, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Pit Road Toad

Tagged with: Art Almond, NASCAR, Pit Road Toad

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How to Fix NASCAR: 2. Revamp The Nationwide Series

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and pictures,2010 NASCAR schedule,NASCAR video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

December 16, 2008 8:32 pm CST 1 Comment

Two weeks has gone by pretty fast, but here I am again with another installment of How to Fix NASCAR. Perhaps I shouldn’t have just jumped into the idea without giving a proper introduction, but sometimes one can make a mistake like that, and regardless of the negative reaction to some of my suggestions, it’s time to move on.

(You’ll all remember me when the contract-ripping party ends, by the way. Bobby Labonte and Petty Enterprises kicked it off last week…)

This week, we look at NASCAR’s awkward teenager stuck between the adults of Sprint Cup and the old men of CWTS, the Nationwide Series. I call it the “awkward teenager” because this series and its teams have no idea what it is - a step on the development ladder to Sprint Cup, or “Cup Lite,” as it used to be. With only wins by Scott Wimmer, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ron Fellows, and Marcos Ambrose standing between a “claim jumper” sweep for the year, I’d say it’s becoming Cup Lite.

That needs to change.

I think the developmental failures of drivers like Joel Kauffman, Tracy Hines, and the like a few years ago may have put off teams and sponsors from wanting to take a chance on full-season developmental drivers. But at the same time, one must remember that that era of the series also produced stars like Greg Biffle, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, and Kasey Kahne, along with mid-pack drivers David Stremme, Jamie McMurray, Scott Riggs, and Wimmer.

A quick note: All of the aforementioned “stars” drove for top teams like Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing, or teams that had been on the top of their game, like Yates Racing and Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. The mid-pack drivers all drove for the best of the independents, such as Brewco Motorsports and ppc Racing.

Kauffman and Hines drove for the less-than-stellar Fitz Bradshaw Racing. Mark McFarland drove for the still-fledgling JR Motorsports. Auggie Vidovich was employed by a Biagi Brothers Racing on its last legs. Todd Kluever and Danny O’Quinn Jr.? Yeah, they were Roush drivers, but they’re like the 2001 Roush CWTS class of Nathan Haseleu and Chuck Hossfeld. (I know what you’re saying… “Who?”) It happens.

That’s no excuse for the entire series to degenerate into a Cup heat race. If you want to do that, award Cup points. Personally, I like the idea of Nationwide being a driver development series, as it used to be. If sponsors and teams are whining down the road about a shortage of quality drivers, it’s their own fault for ignoring their commitment to developing future stars now. So let’s fix that, shall we?

1. The “all-or-8″ rule: If you’re a full-time Cup driver, you either run every race, or you run a maximum of 8. I’m sure that enough Cup drivers will show up every week to keep ticket sales-a-goin’, and you can have some interesting combinations of guys running for the owners’ championship. Imagine Vickers sharing a Toyota with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Logano and running for the owners’ title against Biffle, David Ragan, McMurray, and Matt Kenseth in a Ford. NASCAR’s already becoming all about the teams anyway… we can work with this.

Two protection clauses: First, if a driver misses a race, like a Nashville or Kentucky one, for any other reason than inclement flying weather, his season stops there. Period. This ensures that some hot prospect can have a chance at a top-tier ride at least once in their lifetime. Second, if a driver gets dumped from his Cup ride, the rule no longer applies to him, as long as he’s out of Cup full-time. I know, it’s complex, but so was the scorecard I used to keep track of the No. 5 Chevrolet last year.

This keeps super teams from entering four or five Nationwide cars some weeks. It also frees up some seats for the guys who really need them. Which brings me to my next point…

2. At least one single-driver car for every “team” car: This way, if Jack Roush wants to enter that super team, he has to commit to a full-season car that runs for the drivers’ championship. I know, it’d suck if that driver was Carl Edwards, but Roush has the means to run Erik Darnell for a full season too, I’m sure.

Marc Davis lucks out and gets a full-time ride with Gibbs, if they don’t run Kyle Busch full-time. Stephen Leicht goes full-time with RCR, Justin Allgaier moves up with Penske, Brad Keselowski sort of has the same relationship as he did before with Hendrick/JR Motorsports… in short, the future superstars of the sport get more time to hone their skills.

This is where I address the sponsors. We all know that a company would rather sponsors a Sprint Cup guy for a limited schedule than a rookie for a full year, but that’s only because NASCAR and the teams have allowed it to be so. If you institute rules limiting what drivers can participate, two things can happen: either it could backfire and we dump the system in one year, like the 1974 Cup points system was, or sponsors could realize that the future means just as much as the present in regards to brand association, and make lasting commitments to drivers that truly turn them into the “faces” of their brands. I’m willing to bet on the latter.

3. Limit the field to 28 cars: Now that we’ve limited the powerful teams, how do we keep the field-fillers from, in effect, stealing money? Limit the field significantly. We don’t need 43 cars to run an amazing race - Champ Car had some of my favorite racing of all-time between 1999 and its demise, and they rarely had more than 20. Cut out the guys like MSRP Motorsports, for one. There would be other casualties, for sure, but hopefully, with less places for sponsors to land on big teams, the teams like Davis Motorsports might land a lucrative contract.

4. Development cash prize: In 2006, Simon Pagenaud won the Toyota Atlantic Championship, earning him a $2 million grant towards a full-time ride in the Champ Car World Series. For the top non-Sprint Cup driver, award a significant cash prize towards moving them up, at least part-time, for the following year… at least $5 million, anyway. It’s just another incentive to encourage teams to develop drivers.

At this point, any bit of money helps…
5. Postpone the Car of Tomorrow indefinitely until economic conditions improve.

6. Shorten the schedule: How could I forget? Hasta la bye-bye, second Auto Club race, second Texas race, second Nashville race that occurs under two months after the first Nashville race, Chicagoland race, and first Dover race (which will be replaced by moving the Gateway race). That’s a 30-race schedule, equal to that of the Cup Series. Everybody hates me for suggesting these cuts, but don’t worry: I won’t touch the Camping World schedule. Promise.

The problem with such a dramatic overhaul lies in the extent of the reform - what I’ve suggested is a nearly 180-degree turn from the direction in which the series is currently headed. However, besides the Car of Tomorrow in Sprint Cup, I hear more complaints about the Nationwide Series as a whole than any other. Most of it deals with the “claim jumpers,” if you will (the only term I’ve heard to replace “Buschwhackers” with any staying power), and their picking and choosing the races they’ll go out and dominate, taking money and exposure away from the little guys. However, I respect the guys who commit to running two full schedules, because it’s so much harder to be competitive in two different series over ten months… even if that puts me in the minority.

If I learned anything after my first set of ideas, it’s that I probably always will be.

Filed under: NASCAR

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Carl Edwards Takes Britian By Storm

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Charlie likes to call me an "idiot". I'm not an "idiot"; I just prefer not to let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

December 16, 2008 7:12 am CST No Comments

Sprint Cup runner-up Carl Edwards represented NASCAR well at the Race of Champions in England.

Five-time world rally champ Sebastien Loeb prevailed in the Race of Champions on Sunday, but Carl Edwards provided the night’s biggest upset, downing Michael Schumacher in a second-round meeting.

Edwards, who represented the USA with drifting standout Tanner Foust, had the crowd at Britian’s Wembley Stadium going crazy by narrowly edging the seven-time Formula One champ by 1.7 seconds.

Edwards, the lone NASCAR representative in the 16-driver field, lost in the semifinals to former F1 driver David Coulthard, who fell to Loeb in a closely contested three-heat final.

In addition to reaching the semifinals in his first Race Of Champions appearance, Edwards — a nine-time race winner in the Cup Series — won the inaugural TAG Heuer Racing Award. A panel of eight judges reviewed the performances of more than 150 drivers worldwide from Formula One, GP 2, NASCAR, and World Rally before naming Edwards the winner.

Edwards defeated English Formula 3 champ Jaime Alguersuari in the first round. Foust also provided a big-name knockout, edging Jenson Button in a first-round matchup.

In the Nations Cup team competition, Edwards and Foust were eliminated in the first round by Button and Andy Priaulx of Team Great Britain.

This leads us to this weeks BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Do NASCAR Drivers get their proper respect on the world-wide racing scene?

Let us know what you think about this weeks BUZZ and we may use your comments on this weeks radio show. Tune in to ON PIT ROW from 5-7pm ET every Tuesday. Give us a call toll free at 1-877-502-8255 and let us know what you think.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Diversity and NASCAR, ESPN, Formula One, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media, Nascaholics, Nascar Legends

Tagged with: Carl Edwards, David Coulthard, Michael Schumacher, Sebastien Loeb, Tanner Foust

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