Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Sure is. In the case of hte #43, I really dislike seeing sponsors being solicited from a team by another, but they will inevitably go where the teams are successful. Glad to see they let Bobby Labonte walk away and salvage a ride for next year. I wish he could've gone to Childress with the sponsor.
Who knows, maybe the Gillette thing will pan out and at least save the 43.
While I hate to see that happen I wonder how & why these once premier teams allow themselves to get so far behind the curve. (Robert) Yates racing is another example. Though not going under (yet) this once top tier team can barely get sponsorship.
Speaking of sponsorship, what is happening to Petty will begin to occur more often to lower tier teams. As budgets increase sponsors want results for their investment and unfortunately having a good name or cause is not going to replace a lack of result.
I hate to see there demise as well. The Pettys are very decent people and you will almost never hear of anyone having a bad experience with Richard Petty. I think it is safe to say it almost never happens.
But they are old school and no longer a fit in todays Nascar. I say that to discredit Nascar and not the Pettys. Nascar has sold it's own soul, and it is time for something better.
Let the high brows have it and continue to bastardize what was once the most intense passionate sport ever known. Someone needs to devise a program were teams can run first class on a budget that does not exceed a million dollars a year. Only a fool would deny that racing is a rich mans game, but there was a day where a very successful buisness man could run a team as a hobby.
I remember a day when Marty Robbins could toy with sport, and those types kept the sport vibrant.
Today only the fortune 500s get to play along with their plastic people. Loosing the Pettys is Nascars loss.
Very well said and I agree. It's no longer so much about "the sport" but about the "money". The drivers of today are nothing more then walking advertisements. They spend much of their time in front of cameras making commercials and being taught how to speak properly. What a shame. What has happened to a sport that was once so special and so many people would stand by their side no matter what?? A sport that was fun and exciting. These race car drivers today are rich enough after only one year in the cup races they can retire and retire very well off. I don't begrudge anyone making their fair share of money and the sport is risky but come on..............
I would love to see more like the Pettys out there again!! Those are "real" people!!
I knew this was coming,but it's still sad. Richard is still "The King" to me!
My wife and I had the opportunity to tour the Richard Petty Museum,and we also went by the old race shop in Level Cross. It was awesome,and I felt truly honored to be able to visit them.
Kind of ironic isn't it? Petty was a pioneer in bringing bigtime sponsorship (STP) into NASCAR. The very same type of dollars several of you are now chastizing. As competition became more fierce, more teams courted big corporate, NASCAR attempted to create parity which drives up R&D costs, which drove the sponsor's demands up as well, "If I give you $20 million per year what are you going to do for me?"
What I don't like is there is no longer any room allowed to develop a driver. If a rookie doesn't produce favorable results within a couple of seasons he is out of a ride. Not all drivers are a Gordon, Stewart, Johnson, Hamlin, or Bush. Some take longer to find their groove.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
