NASCAR in the Next Decade: The Storylines that will Shape the Future
It is not possible to predict the road NASCAR will travel by the time we reach the final 2019 checkered flag, but it will be entertaining to speculate. This decade begins as NASCAR tail spins in the wrong direction it’s a sharp contrast to the beginning of the last decade when NASCAR viewership, attendance and corporate interest were all surging. Today, all of those trends are in reverse, and this decade will truly define whether NASCAR remains as a mainstream sport or becomes another fledgling motorsport series.
Danica Patrick to NASCAR…Hendrick Motorsports?
Rumors are running rampant that Danica Patrick is going to jump from IndyCar to NASCAR. Is this a negotiating tactic with Andretti Green Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing? Or is she seriously considering a move to stock car racing. One must wonder why the poster child of IndyCar Racing would take the risk and make a move to NASCAR, which undisputedly, is crumbling as I speak. I can image NASCAR dangling HUGE financial incentives and prepackage endorsements, but why take the risk?
Chrysler Bankruptcy: The Future of NASCAR Teams Hang in the Balance
Questioning the future of Dodge’s continuing involvement in NASCAR is nothing new – back in September 2008, I wrote about the pending withdrawal of Dodge from NASCAR and unfortunately this appears to be the plan for 2010.
NASCAR – Is it Still Stock Car Racing?
On Friday, Wired published an article titled – The Car of Tomorrow Has an Extension Cord – a discussion of the future plug-in hybrids coming soon to your local car dealer showroom. This discussion further demonstrates the continued divide between NASCAR and all automakers. The founding principle and most basic concept behind NASCAR was and [...]
Update: GM Cutting Back on NASCAR Spending
According to the Associated Press (AP) today, General Motors officially announced their first round of motorsports spending cuts. Troubled General Motors has notified two racetracks that operate NASCAR events that their current contracts will not be renewed as part of an overall $10 billion cost-cutting program. Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns eight tracks that hold [...]
Cost-Cutting at GM Racing – NASCAR a Branding Problem?
The day is fast approaching when the automotive manufacturers are going to reign in their motorsports budgets to reflect the current state of the automotive industry. The fundamental issue with NASCAR as a branding tool for the car companies is that it fails to demonstrate the future product portfolio and demands for “green” vehicles. Even [...]
The Nationwide Series Will Live Another Day – COT on Hold
NASCAR officials have notified team owners in the Nationwide Series that they will delay the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow (COT) in the Nationwide Series by at least one year. According to Ramsey Poston, Managing Director of Communications at NASCAR, the reason for the change is because “testing and development” is still needed before [...]
NASCAR All-Star Boredom
What is the COT? The Format? The Track? It doesn’t really matter because at the end of the day, the 2008 NASCAR All-Star Race was utterly boring. Honestly, I was shocked, because the All-Star race is normally one of the highlights to the long NASCAR racing season. The format traditionally included variables and rules promoting [...]
Car of Tomorrow (COT) – Friend or Foe for the Nationwide Series?
Earlier this week, Dale Earnhardt Jr. provided a candid team owner’s perspective of the forthcoming change to the Car of Tomorrow (COT) in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. When asked about his future Sprint Cup plans with JR Motorsports, he said: “I used to say no way, no way. But it’s almost as expensive to run [...]
Toyota and Chevy Truck teams announced for 2004
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Toyota officially became part of NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck series on Friday, announcing agreements with four teams for the 2004 season. Bill Davis Racing, Innovative Motorsports Inc., Waltrip Racing Inc. and Bang Racing, all new to the series, will field Toyota Tundra trucks in the season-opening event Feb. 13 at Daytona International [...]
