I think so.
I don't see the sponsorship landscape improving for a number of years, the gluttony is over. When a top tier organization like Jack Roush drops a team for lack of sponsorship (one could argue he was looking for an excuse to drop Ragan, though), the situation is reaching a point where some significant changes need to be made to modify the field to more match the money available.
The majority of the top drivers in the sport, lets just say those in the chase, run multiple primary sponsors these days. Lowes perhaps the exception. Start and Park is a leprosy on the sport.
Let's discuss the pro's and con's of a major reset: Limit the guaranteed positions to the top 30, make the total field 36. Eliminate past champion for all but full time participants. If they are still any good, let them race their way into one of the go or go home spots.
That still leaves six go or go home spots for teams trying to break in, compared to the 8 today.
Purse monies for those 7 positions would NOT be redistributed to the other 36 positions, but rather, total purse would be smaller.
Every team qualifying for the go or go home positions will have to prove or "bond" that they have the assets (tires and pit crew) available to run the full race, or else give up their qualifying position to a slower team that does.
These changes would be implemented for both Cup and NW, making the field size of 36 equal across all three top tiers of NASCAR.
Anne V
Ariel Meredith
2013 All-NBA Teams
Hall of Fame NHL Players as Coaches
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on a personal aside, why is Louisiana Hot Sauce so darn good on breakfast?
pondscum
Total Comments (5687)
Your arguement has merit. Get rid of the start & park cars.
OLD BEAR
Orange Park , FL
Total Comments (538)
Why would they want to add to the ranks of the unemployed? If the S/P go to Nationwide, those folks go lower in the pecking order. In the end someone is out of work.
JKINDELRAY
Total Comments (15597)
in light of more teams closing due to less sponsorships, they are out anyway. I aint trying to fix the economy, just NASCAR. Barry can fix the economy for us, he says.
pondscum
Total Comments (5687)
Seriously, there are probably not 24 teams of the 43 that have any more chance than I do of winning these days, or for that matter, any intent to even try.
circus comes to town, the rolling billboards go round and round.
pondscum
Total Comments (5687)
do not think Jack wanted to drop Ragan, cause Ragan is under contact for 2012, and by the end of that Bayne or Stenhouse, could move into the #6
... Nova
~ Brown Deer ~, WI
Total Comments (3633)
Jack has shown a lack of support for the low man on the totem pole over the years.. remember how quickly Burton was worthless when Exide pulled out?
pondscum
Total Comments (5687)
Yummy!
pondscum
Total Comments (5687)
I'm thinking there has to be something in a contract somewhere stating that 43 cars will start every Cup race. That is the only reason I can get my head around in order to justify all the S&P teams, especially since wasn't it either earlier this year or last that NASCAR said they were going to start scrutinizing the S&P's more. that was probably just a 2 week to appease the fans thing, but still NASCAR said they would and haven't.
The only thing I would change to your suggestion Pond would be instead of a top 30 rule you have a fastest cars qualify rule. If you can't make it on speed well try again next week.
Raistwalker
Total Comments (2064)
and is that the whole problem? .we saw with the Bowyer deal, sounded like 5 hour was on board with Bowyer and 5 hour money $13m for 24 races, was not effort to keep him at RCR a TOP team, so on to MWR a lower team.
.so has NASCAR priced (the Cost of a Top team) out of the Sponsorship Market?
.and stopping Start n' Park teams with do nothing to fix that problem.
... Nova
~ Brown Deer ~, WI
Total Comments (3633)
That is Jack, Childress, Penske businessman side ...
I am NOT going to pay millions out of my pockets to run another Team ...
NO sponsor = NO team ...
... Nova
~ Brown Deer ~, WI
Total Comments (3633)
yeah. no arguement
one thing at a time.
pondscum
Total Comments (5687)
here is what I mean by Cost of sponsor ... close to home ...
the naming rights for Miller Park (MLB) $40m for 20 years or $2 million a year, 82 games a year ..
do not think the #2 Miller Lite Dodge is only Costing $2 million a year for 36 races ...
... Nova
~ Brown Deer ~, WI
Total Comments (3633)
Actually I think it is more the sponsors pricing themselves out of the market.
There was an article on thefrontstreatch.com the other day about the rise and fall of UPS as a NASCAR sponsor. At the time they entered the sport with Dale Jarret they supposedly were paying top dollar (if not the top dollar) to be on his hood. Jarrett had moderate success at first, several wins, but as his driving ability declined so did the finishes, and Ups left for another team, the #6, and have found less success there.
But that is not the whole story. While UPS brought in top money to a team, the next sponsor over began to feel pressure to dump more money into their team to keep up with the Joneses. Thus the bidding war began.
And don't forget this was at the height of NASCAR in the early 2000's.
Now the sport has crashed, the economy is on life support, and teams still need the $20-40 million commitment to compete effectively. While at the height of the sport a company would be more then willing to sign that check for the full season, you are luck to get one to cover half a season now.
NASCAR has no real control over sponsor deals, unless one of the "official" sponsors complain, so to say they are the cause of pricing out the sponsors is a faulty argument I would say.
Raistwalker
Total Comments (2064)
have to check, but I bet there are a few miller lite commercials ran too... I hear your argument.. its all out of hand, and the NBA is still on lockout.. go figure.
pondscum
Total Comments (5687)
Raistwalker; that sounds pretty good. Makes sense.
JKINDELRAY
Total Comments (15597)
So what your saying is greed and a desire to win has broke them.
OLD BEAR
Orange Park , FL
Total Comments (538)
Come on 22GA you saw Jimmie Johnson's "desire to win" all day at Talladega the other week.
Raistwalker
Total Comments (2064)
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