NASCAR news

BY JARED GALL, ILLUSTRATION BY ERIC WOODWARD April 1, 2009

In a move sure to spark outrage, the White House announced today that GM and Chrysler must cease participation in NASCAR at the end of the 2009 season if they hope to receive any additional financial aid from the government. Companies around the globe?Honda and Audi, to name two?have drawn down racing operations, and NASCAR itself has already felt the pinch in the form of reduced team spending. A complete withdrawal from America?s premier racing series is expected to save more than $250 million between GM and Chrysler, a substantial amount considering the drastic measures being implemented elsewhere.

?Automakers used to operate on the principle of ?win on Sunday, sell on Monday,? but the Auto Task Force?s research just doesn?t validate that as true,? said the statement from President Obama. While fans have decried the Car of Tomorrow for heavily limiting what little personalization the cookie-cutter series had previously allowed to participating manufacturers, and drivers have slammed its brick-like aerodynamics and unpredictable handling, even the governmental oversight committee sees that the full-scale regulation of the cars leaves the manufacturers very little space for research and development. ?NASCAR is a racing series that regulates down to the smallest detail of the cars, where a car badged a Chevrolet or Dodge differs only marginally from a Ford or a Toyota. There?s no technological development to speak of.?

The statement goes on further to say the same demand will be made of Ford if it asks for government assistance. ?In order to receive this money, corporations must demonstrate they will spend it wisely. Racing has been said to improve on-road technology, but frankly, NASCAR almost flaunts its standing among the lowest-tech forms of motorsport. NASCAR is not proven to drive advancements that transfer from the racetrack to the road, and this nation?s way forward does not hinge on decades-old technology. We need new, and we need innovation.?

The President realizes this will be an unpopular call, but stands behind the decision, saying, ?This is an obvious cut to make, but it is not an easy one. This administration is not ignoring the tremendous sentimental value and emotional appeal NASCAR holds for so many Americans. But now is not the time for sentiment and nostalgia; now is a time for decisive financial action. If our automotive industry is to emerge from this recession intact, then these difficult decisions must be made.?

Both Chevrolet and Dodge see the move as only temporary, and fully expect to resume racing in NASCAR as soon as they have stabilized and the government?s hand in their operations is minimized. ?There is nothing really to say at this point,? said one representative, who wished to remain anonymous. ?We?ve been doing this since the beginning, and we always assumed we?d be doing this until the end. Heck, nobody ever thought to think that there would be an end. But we ain?t done. As soon as this is over, we?re taking back our spot at the top.?

NASCAR officials remain tight-lipped about the call, but sources say series president Mike Helton and team managers are exploring several options, including other manufacturers to fill Chevrolet and Dodge?s vacated positions. Given the company?s recent interest in motorsport and the steady cash-flow and V-8 engine provided by its new Genesis sedan, sources indicate that NASCAR is pinging Hyundai to gauge the Korean company?s interest in occupying a spot in NASCAR. ?Toyota was not well-received their first year in the sport, nor was their first season an easy one,? the source says. ?But they learned, they applied the lessons, and they have proven very competitive this year.?

If Hyundai does indeed join the series, there will no doubt be a steep learning curve, and the move would leave Ford the lone domestic battling a pair of Asian makes in America?s most popular racing series. We wonder, however, how long NASCAR could hold that title without two of its most storied participants.

Reply to
Steve W.
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I want to see Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch out on the track behind the wheels of identical 1985 Yugos. Then we'll see who the best driver really is.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

And todays date is?

Reply to
Thomas Tornblom

"Steve W." wrote in news:gr03bs$vk8$ snipped-for-privacy@nntp.motzarella.org:

Good. Total waste of money. You see no mention of ALMS or Grand AM there of course. And no it show's no sign of being an April fools prank - this was mentioned as a definite possibility a few days ago.

Reply to
fred

snip

Good luck. The auto companies provide a lot of support to racing teams that would be VERY hard to trace as far as bucks. Sure, direct dollar support is one thing, but even in the days when companies did not officially support racing (there were several such self-imposed bans) there was a lot of behind the scenes support.

For one thing, many auto company employees are racing fans, or fans of certain teams. They may have critical knowledge that can help teams, and it is VERY hard to ban that type of activity.

Remember the Ramchargers? That is an example of support that will not go away.

However, we may find better racing with at least SOME reduction in support. NASCAR still had good racing back before Detroit became involved. This could lessen the cost to the poorer teams.

Reply to
Don Stauffer

I fear that you're replying to an April Fool's post. Seriously, though, I _would_ like to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the wheel of a Yugo.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

I think only the last part was April Fools. Whether or not the government requires it, the mfgs will HAVE to cut back on funding of racing. There is a LOT of discussion about this on racing sites. I don't see that much of a problem. NASCAR (nor most other sanctioning bodies) are unlikely to disappear. Fans cutting back on travel are likely to be a far bigger problem than sponsorship or subsidy support.

Reply to
Don Stauffer

The manufacturers already contribute very little to "stock" car racing. The chassis are designed and mandated by NASCAR. The transmissions are the same on all the cars (or close to it- Tremec or Jericho, for example). The rear axles are all aftermarket Ford 9" clones.

The manufacturers contribute cylinder block and head designs, and also do things like flow studies and cam design work with the teams, IF the teams want it (many do all that on their own). That's pretty much it.

Reply to
Steve

Maybe NASCAR could actually go back to racing stock cars. The present cars bear no relationship to stock other than a superficial external resemblance to production models. Of course, the fans get wrapped up their support of "Ford, Chevy, Mopar, etc." Racing actual models straight from the showroom floor (with safety modifications) would be far more interesting, and might have some effects on innovation and car sales.

Alas, that's never going to happen...

Reply to
Bruce W. Ellis

The biggest thing the manufacturers contribute is cubic dollars....

If they raced mid-sized sedans, then Dodge Chargers, Chrysler 300s, and Pontiac G8s would likely be the only competitive "domestic" cars (and the G8 is actually an Austrailian import). I can't see a 6 cylinder Fusions, Milans, or MKZs being competitive againt V8 powered rear wheel drive cars, even with AWD. And I don't see a front wheel drive Impala SS being much of a threat. However it would be hilarious to watch Camry's get run down like dogs....I suppose Toyota could race the a rear wheel drive Lexus (GS, IS, or LS?). Maybe Ford could race Crown Vics. I suppose if they opened it up to sporty cars, then Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge could all play (Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger)...but then would they have to call it TransAm?

I really enjoyed NASCAR in the 70's, 80, and 90's. Now it is just a bore. All the cars are the same, and I swear they are cloning the drivers. If you are too agressive, then NASCAR slaps you down. And anytime a team becomes the least bit innovative, NASCAR makes a new rule to prevent it. Heck at Daytona and Talladega, they make you use special springs, shocks, and rear gears. There is almost no room for innovation. Borrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring. As soon as the trendy fans stop watching, attendance will drop back to the levels of the mid-60's or less. I watched part of the Atlanta race earlier this spring and was shocked at all the empty seats.

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

A few weeks ago, I watched a tv program about Moonshiners.A guy said some of those Moonshiners figured they might as well charge people money to watch them racing around a track.The guy said that is how NASCAR was born. cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin

That's the way NASCAR was when I was a kid. The vehicles were clearly hopped up, but they clearly started life as production items. When Junior Johnson blew a differential, one of the fans offered him one off his car in the parking lot and he dropped it right one.

NASCAR today seems kind of pale and silly in comparison, precisely because the vehicles are both clearly designed for the job, but also designed with odd constraints specifically to make vehicle performance more even across the board.... and constraints like that deter innovation too.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

Front-drives? Not going to happen. They're not raceable, at least not in oval-track format. Dodge could race the Charger, but Ford couldn't race the fusion and Toyota couldn't race the Camry.

The present

Actually, I don't see a whole lot of brand loyalty anymore. There wasn't a huge uproar (in either direction) when Toyota came in.

Reply to
Steve

In other words, NASCAR has become much more like F1 and IRL. That's just what big-time racing *is* today. Its not safe or practical to run "stock" cars at 200+ mph, and that's what the audience wants, not truly stock cars duking it out at 130-150 mph.

I'm not saying I like it either... :-/

Reply to
Steve

That might be true, but if so they should change the name.

I still want to see the ten top drivers out on the track in Yugos. Then we'll see who can really make the most of his vehicle.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

I think it was a Winton car(s) that were front wheel drive.That car was in a race many, many years ago, long before NASCAR.I like NASCAR, but my favorite kind of car racing is the old style dirt track jalopy dare devil tear em on purpose racing, especially at night time, when you can see the fire coming out of the exhaust.. cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin

In that respect, NASCAR does have one thing going for it. If all the big racing series, NASCAR's cars are supposed to be the hardest to drive by a wide margin. Especially with the new common-platform "car of tomorrow" that is in use now.

Reply to
Steve

snipped-for-privacy@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote in news:gr5odv$fn7$ snipped-for-privacy@panix2.panix.com:

It's done. It's called IRC. Along with several other names. The more spec you make all the cars the more it becomes a procession. You either allow development and improvements or you stagnate and have to find some other way to entertain the throngs. Like crashes. Hence NASCAR.

Reply to
fred

Bruce W. Ellis wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Too late. It's called GT1 now.

Reply to
fred

snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@storefull-3173.bay.webtv.net:

Very close. Ever seen "Smokey and the Bear"? Well the car Burt drove was a blocker. Pretty soon they started to have competitions to see who had the best one. Started purely out of the illegal moonshine trade.

Reply to
fred

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