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NASCAR’s Business Model Changing

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by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Over ten years on the air and three on the net; see what can happen when I don't let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

December 9, 2008 9:10 am UTC 4 Comments

Not since the early 1980′s could NASCAR have so many unsponsored cars at its Cup races.

Most reports have only two-thirds of the full time prospective Cup teams with sponsorship deals for 2009.  Yates Racing still only has full time sponsorship for their new team member Paul Menard. That deal is with his fathers owned home improvement business.  Menard will drive the number 98 this year; joining the unsponsored #38 and #28 of David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil respectively.

Dale Earnhardt, Inc and Chip Ganassi Racing have had to merge in an effort to keep the BassPro sponsorship for 2009.  BassPro could leave the number 1 car if there were not two full time team mates for 2009.  By merging with Ganassi, Martin Truex, Jr. will have those two full time team mates in Juan Pablo Montoya and possibly Bobby Labonte who could move over from Petty Enterprises to drive the number 41 Target car.

If Labonte leaves Petty Enterprises and the iconic number 43 ride; that could open that seat for Reed Sorenson as he would move over from his proposed seat in the GEM number 10.  The merger of GEM and Boston Ventures owned Petty Enterprises could leave NASCAR without a Petty in an ownership role for the first time in years.  Don’t forget that Mike Curb owned the  43 for some years in the  late 1970s.

Which leads us to this weeks BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Where did Petty Enterprises go wrong?

Let us know what you think about this question or anything else going on in NASCAR’s off season.  Have a comment about the banquet–let us know and we could use your comment on this week ON PIT ROW radio show.  Or call the show live starting at 5pm ET on Tuesdays at 1-877-502-8255.  Listen live at www.onpitrow.com

photo credit: BethAnne Heisler/ ON PIT ROW

Filed under: Bobby Labonte, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, How to fix NASCAR, Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR Rumors, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, The King, The Pettys 

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Comments

4 Responses to “NASCAR’s Business Model Changing”

  1. User Avatar Marc on December 9th, 2008 7:55 pm

    You mean aside from being so tight with a coin they squeak?

    Other than that, they have the same problem as Yates and the Wood Bros, they didn’t jump on the 3-4 car team concept until the train left the station.

  2. User Avatar Steve Wronkowicz on December 9th, 2008 9:22 pm

    Yep– and yet they were one of the early adopter of the two car model. Go figure.

  3. User Avatar Charlie Turner on December 9th, 2008 9:54 pm

    The problem, boys, was that they never found the next Richard Petty – or Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson,Tony Stewart, whomever. You can set the other stuff up – as Chip Ganassi and Roger Penske have – but without the right driver you lose. There are only 5 or 6 “right drivers” every 10 or 15 years. They missed every time. Adam might have been THE one. Who knows? The rest were not.

  4. 2008 OPeR Award: Worst Team/Owner | On Pit Row on December 18th, 2008 7:28 pm

    [...] whomever bears the blame for what has become of the once dominant Petty Enterprises racing organization must be recognized. [...]

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