The Pit Stop

Welcome to The Pit Stop for Tuesday, February 10, 2009. Today’s The Pit Stop will be my thoughts on one of the hottest topics circulating around NASCAR today.

There has been much discussion lately about the country’s economy, the state of many NASCAR teams’ financial welfare and how it will effect the 2009 NASCAR season. You have probably heard about teams merging or teams that are looking for ways to reduce costs. Truthfully, I think that some of that is very healthy for the sport. It is amazing how when things are going good, it is spend, spend, spend. Don’t worry about costs, just do it. Then when things go down and money is in short supply, everyone is going nuts trying to find every cent.

Take the recent changes in gas prices. Six months ago, everyone was screaming about the gas prices. $4.00 + a gallon?!?! This is crazy!! Something has to be done about this! It is all that the network news talking heads ranted about (and the war in Iraq, of course).

Now gas prices have dropped drastically to around $1.75 per gallon. You don’t even hear a whisper about it on the news hardly any more. Everyone has gone back to driving the huge SUVs and Hummers. The $4 per gallon pandelirium is all but forgotten. But is it gone? I doubt it. We will see gas prices shoot up again. You better believe it.

My point is this -  even when times are good we should look at ways to save money and cut costs. Whether it is a business or a household, it is a very wise practice.

This leads me to the present talk in NASCAR about ways the sport could save money and cut costs. NASCAR banned all testing at the end of the 2008 season as a way for teams to save money. I believe this is a good measure. Although teams can still test at a non-NASCAR sanctioned track (such as Rockingham) it has helped to cut costs for teams.

My Cost-Cutting Plan

Now, I’m about to hit you with a radical idea. Some may think it’s preposterous. Some may think it’s a novel idea. This idea could have great ramifications in NASCAR – positive or negative. It depends on which way you spin it. So, here is my idea:

Shorten the NASCAR Sprint Cup season to 25 races. Start the season in March and end in late September, right after the Labor Day holiday. That is including about four weekends off. That would also mean that the circuit would only visit tracks one time per season. That would allow one race at every current track on the current schedule, plus a possible second race at three of the  most popular tracks; for example Daytona, Bristol or the Brickyard.

Going to a 25-race schedule from March to September, would be perfect. Just long enough to add drama and not so long you get bored with it.

How Would This Save Money?

It can cost any where from 12 to 25 million dollars annually to operate a race team with the current schedule. Imagine how much less it would cost to run those teams with 11 fewer events. It would make it much easier for a smaller team to acquire sponsorship. Asking a business to give 8 million dollars is much easier than asking for 18 million dollars.

Let’s face it, what race fan out there hasn’t thought from time to time that the season is just too long anyway? I admit, there have been times that I was just tired of racing by August. I wasn’t sure if the season would ever end. Trying to keep up with a four hour race every weekend for ten months can get a little monotonous. I think all those cookie-cutter mile and a half tracks should be reduced any way, just because we need more variety. Don’t get me wrong, I admire Bruton Smith. He has been a promotions pioneer for decades in this sport. But come on Bruton. Do we really need four tracks that are all virtually the same? Then go to some of those tracks twice a year. It’s like being part of that movie Groundhog Day.

The Downside

The biggest drawback to this plan? The track operators and souvenir sellers. The track operators would throw a hissy if you began taking a race a year from them. They would have a right to be upset at this kind of action. It might totally undermined their business. They may not be able to survive with only one Cup date per year. Yes, this plan would affect their books more than NASCAR, or the race teams themselves. I feel the tracks can make sacrifices too, if the fans, the teams and the drivers are willing to do so as well.

Yes, this plan would probably affect the miles and miles of souvenir-selling trailers you see every week at the track. If you had eleven less events, that would be eleven times the souvenir folks would not have to pry your hard earned money for an overpriced hat or t-shirt out of your wallet.

Let’s not forget that NASCAR has spent the last two decades (more than that really) trying to expand their name. They have ventured into new markets, like Chicago and Los Angeles. NASCAR worked hard to become one of the most watched sports in America. They even began gaining international attention, getting drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambrose. Something that was mostly unheard of ten years ago.

I agree that expansion is necessary in order to thrive and be successful. But did NASCAR expand too rapidly? Will its quick ascension into mega-sport actually hurt NASCAR in the long run, especially during tough economic times likes these? Only time will tell.

My plan for saving money is bold…. very bold. But it can be done. It wouldn’t be easy. There would be some very difficult challenges. Would it ever happen? I very seriously doubt it.