July 26th, 2009 
T.C. Something that has always bugged me about NASCAR and racing in general, is that if you have a boat load of cash you can race at the highest levels regardless of how talented you are. In the other major professional sports, only the best of the best ever actually make it to the top. If you can’t get it done, you are gone. There is no buying your way in. Some kid playing football at Nameless A&T University can’t give Jerry Jones $5 million and suit up for the Dallas Cowboys.
This way of getting into racing is nothing new, but with the current state of the economy, it seems that some owners have given up completely on trying to secure their own sponsors and instead just go after these types of drivers. It saves these teams from having to actually do any leg work in finding a sponsor and trying to keep them happy, but in turn it creates a rash of new problems.
In case you aren’t sure what drivers I’m referring to, I’ll point out a few current ones for you. I’m talking about guys like Paul Menard, Michael Annett, John Wes Townley, and Brian Scott. And there have been a ton of other guys that have come, and then gone when the money ran out.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not faulting these guys for coming from priviledged backgrounds. And I’m also not saying that these guys don’t have a future in the sport. But in many cases, drivers like these didn’t pay their dues and earn the opportunities they were given.
For many drivers like this, the tenures are short lived. They may get a season or two in a car, but often times they don’t perform and are out of the sport when their funding runs out. Any shot they have at getting back is ruined, and it is very detrimental to the team for whom they drove.
Funded drivers are almost like a band aid or temporary fix for a race team in search of a driver and a sponsor. Owners sign these kids because it saves them from having to find one half of the equation. The team then survives as long as the money keeps flowing, but when it does end, often the teams are left with no where to go. They are again left without a driver or sponsor, and now must try and find a sponsor without much in the way of performance to sell.
These situations also put the owners in bad spots, because their hands are tied when it comes to making any changes. If a driver isn’t performing, or is wrecking every car in the stable, there is nothing that can be done. They either need to live with the bad performances and wrecked race cars, or find another way to fund their team.
With so much talk recently about how to “fix” the sport, I think this is something that maybe needs to be looked at by NASCAR. The sport would be so much stronger if we could actually find a way to make sure only the best drivers climbed into race cars each weekend. I haven’t yet worked out how NASCAR would go about doing this, but I believe competition would benefit greatly if we could figure out a way.
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Cannot believe I am reading an article like this.
Very disappointed in a feature like this.
Totally agree with you on this one!!! Paul came into Yates racing this year with money. Bobby also came in with a sponsor willing to sign with a big name. Where did that leave Travis and David after all they did for the team last year? Out looking for a ride of their own. Luckily David was able to find something but Travis has been out of a ride after the first 5 races cause Yates just didn’t have the money to run him all year… and yet they had money last year to run 2 unsponsored teams all year. Bobby and Paul sure have made Yates look bad this year with where they are in points- I’m sure that Travis and David would be just as good if not better than where the team currently is!
Chris: What are you so disappointed with? If you think I am wrong on this one, tell me why. You can’t honestly sit here and tell me that racing is better off because somebody can buy their way into the sport. Like I said in the piece, I’m not bagging on these guys for the situation they are in. My problem is more with the system itself.
Thank you for writing this!!!!! I don’t know how many times I have said this same thing, but it’s often. Paul Menard is the biggest example. If not for daddy’s money he would be racing in the local circuit. Seems another example of come and gone with daddy’s money is Hank Parker Jr. several years ago.
You can add Ken Butler to the list too, imo. I almost choked when they said that the Butler boys are really good racers Saturday.
It’s sad, and ridiculous. Paul’s a good example in Cup, but this is definitely a bigger problem in the lower two. I’m all for helping your kid realize a dream, but, at what point does it stop? Especially in the NNS, when these kids get guaranteed starting spots (or manage to race their way in) and the barely make it halfway through the race, after teams that would have run the full race go home.
As you have said before, it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know, and by extension how much money you bring.
I agree that 3 of the 4 drivers you named haven’t produced the results. But I have to defend Brian Scott. He’s 6th in the points (17 drivers have competed in all 13 races.) He’s ahead of notables such as Colin Braun and Rick Crawford. This is his 2nd year in trucks. So while daddy’s money may have bought him his ride, he is showing that he can compete. Which can’t be said for other drivers.
On the other side of the issue are the drivers that get rides because of who they know or who they are related to. Since the teams admittedly don’t “scout” for driver, drivers are getting rides through who you know or who brings money.
This seems like an argument in favor of franchising. I’m cool with that. With franchising, the drivers would be need to be skilled to keep a ride.
I know about Menard but where/who does the funding for the other drivers come from?
And this is but a guess, why wouldn’t an owner running less than a full stable take one of these drivers? Wouldn’t the combination of sponsorship money and whatever they do win provide support to the other teams and allow overhead to be spread over more teams?
This topic goes right back to what I said last year, truck nationwide then cup. These steps should be mandaory for anybody who wants to race cup. If NASCAR would say you must start in truck, and we will tell you when you move up and the same with nationwide it would resolve a lot of these problms it would make the lower series much stronger too.It would defitinly increase the car counts in the lower series and make for better racing overall.
I do agree…and you can add ‘dangerous’ to the list of potential impacts…usually to themselves. A couple of famous examples in IndyCar/IndyLites come to mind, including Jason Priestley and the former journalist (name escapes me) who died in a crash a couple of years ago, and Ed Carpenter. The Cup driver that immediately pops to mind (and again, it’s not personal; I don’t know him or his background) is Reed Sorenson who as far as I know, has won 1 Nationwide/Busch series race in a (then) top of the line car, but not much else. My thought on a few of these folks is, unless they know someone, are related to ‘someone’ or ‘have something’ on an Owner, the results don’t justify the longevity in a Cup ride. Others with talent, marketability and/or who have paid their dues (Kvapil, Chad McCumbee, Patrick Carpentier, Johnny Benson, AJ Allemendinger, Aric Almirola, Erik Darnell, Matt Crafton, DJ Kennington, JJ Yeley, and, yes, Carl Long) can’t seem to get in the door or stay long enough to get a decent shot in good equipment. You can’t tell me some of these drivers (especially past race winners or champions in another form) have forgotten how to drive a racecar.
I don’t have a solution, but it doesn’t go unnoticed by race fans.
Yeah, it sucks, and I wish it weren’t the case, but it’s become more and more prevalent over the last few years, and the current state of the economy has only made it a bigger issue.
If you think it’s bad in NASCAR, or the US in general, it’s not only worse in European racing, it’s pretty much the norm. Rides come with a price tag, even at lower levels–talent w/o dollars need not apply (an amazing talent may make it through, but it’s almost guaranteed someone will have to step up and back him if family money isn’t available).
I can’t really see how this can be policed, least of all, in the case of series like NASCAR, where the sanctioning body is in effect the promoter and marketing arm too.
The high cost of racing today has led to this more than anything else. While baseball teams may have a significant investment in a player by the time they get to the majors, how much do broken bats and dirty uniforms compare to wrecked and worn out race cars along the way?
Jim2,
Sorenson has won 3 Nationwide races. Is the youngest pole sitter at Indy. Currently leads closer statistic in NASCAR (most positions gained in the last 10% of races). Has been running consistently in the top 15 for the past few weeks. The reason you didn’t see anything from him in prior years is due to Ganassi being so far behind all other teams with equipment. RPM is behind too but Reed’s performance is much improved since his switch. I think you need to check your facts.
I agree Menards talent is questionable at best, yet he gets a ride? why because his daddy has money he is willing to spend to make sure hsi little boy gets what he wants regardless if its the best thing or if he has talent too do it
TC – Well we can go another day without the world coming to an end. While I agree that the rent-a-rides suck and can be dangerous, I will disagree with you that NASCAR needs to look at/control this. It would be very difficult to legislate and control…without unintended consequences.
By definition, these drivers have qualified for the event. Therefore they are entitled to race in it. Again, not saying I like them, but they have earned the starting spot.
If they qualified on time, there is no argument, they qualified. If they are not that fast and only qualify because their team is in the top-35, then get rid of the top-35 or provisionals. Let’s have the fastest cars race. But that would have a whole bunch of consequences other than getting rid of rent-a-rides.
Back in the day, CART & IRL had rules that you had to be within 107-110% of the pole speed to qualify. So guys like King Hiro Matsushita (Panasonic heir) were certainly “funded drivers” but they fell within the qualifying rules. And there were times he outqualified a “real driver.” So, if you change the rule too much, you run the risk of sending home somebody you did not intend on sending home.
NASCAR has granted them a license to drive. In theory, NASCAR has observed them on smaller tracks/series and approved them to race on bigger & bigger tracks/series. Maybe the approval process is flawed and maybe some of them should have their license revoked. But they have been granted a license.
If you change the approval/revocation process, you have to be very careful. If number of crashes, wrecking under the yellow, causing wrecks are a part of the equation, then guys like Stephen Wallace should lose their license. As much as Keselowski punts other cars, he could be defined as causing too many wrecks and should lose his license.
If they are too slow during the event, should they be parked? If they are maintaining the same minimum speed required of the “repaired” cars just driving around for points, then you cannot park them anymore than you can park the wrecked & “repaired” cars. If you want to park the funded guys, then you probably have to park the repaired guys. Then what impact does that have on the points system.
Now, I think taking on the rent-a-rides is risky for the car owners. While it may fund your existence for the short-term, most likely you are not going to perform all that well. Then that makes finding real sponsors and real drivers that much more difficult in the future. Back to Dale Coyne, he survived as a rent-a-ride guy for 20-25 years. He was stuck as a back-marker and could not find sponsors other than funded drivers. Only after his involvement in the Chicago speedway did he get real sponsors and real drivers. He just won his first race at The Glen a few weeks ago.
Jim2 – Paul Dana.
I could not agree more! This article is dead on! No longer is about how a guy can drive or how great a wheel-man he is, it’s about how much money he brings to the table, how good a guy looks in front of a camera, how good he looks during an interview on pit road and how well he holds a can of soup on a cardboard cut out.
Take for instance a guy like Cale Gale. Great talent but he will never get up to Cup or Nwide for that matter because he doesn’t look like an abercrombie model in a fire suit and he doesn’t talk pretty. This article could not be anymore dead on with how the sport has turned out.
NICE WORK TC!!!
PB
Steve, I don’t know about the others, but to partially answer your question about who/where does funding come from for those drivers in question…..John Wes Townley’s funding, IIRC, comes from his dad, Tony Townley, who’s one of the top people at Zaxby’s (CEO or CFO, I think).
Knob: I agree with you that the way to limit this kind of thing would be extremely difficult to figure out. And maybe nothing can be done. But I think it is, in some ways, detrimental to the sport.
Keep in mind too, for those that think I’m coming down on these drivers, I’m not. Brian Scott may well have a solid future in front of him, and I think if Michael Annett can settle down some, he could be alright too. I just think it sucks that guys who have paid their dues and do have talent sit on the sidelines while others race because they just happened to have financing.
Someone once told me that there is more driving talent in the garage areas at a NASCAR race then there is on track. All these drivers that don’t have the money to make it end up as mechanics, spotters, and crew chiefs because racing is all they know.
As was mentioned before the problem is in many aspects of racing, and has been there for decades. Salt Walther of Indy 500 fame and his famous crash in 1973 comes quickly to mind. The problem is there is no way to police it. Can you add Michael Waltrip to the list because NAPA followed him or Dale Jarrett because UPS followed him? Where do you draw the line at of whether a sponsor is following the driver for one reason or another or the driver is in cahoots with the sponsor?
OK – so maybe the world is coming to an end. I agree it is bad. I agree that there is a lot of talent in the garage. But no real way to stop it.
Not to bring up an old, controversial subject…but during the drive for diversity discussion a month or so ago, it was asked what drivers were not getting a chance because funding for D4D was spent on folks of color and not them. Well, think about all those guys in the garage that are talented, but did not get funding. I know one guy in particular. He ran the weekly racing series for 2 years. He was a track champion at two different tracks and finished 2nd in the nation. He got a little bit of funding to run a few truck races. He had 1 top-5 and 3 top-10 finishes. While he impressed owners, he was out of funding and out of the truck. He gave up on the driving career and works for a team now.
The article is fine. However if the racers had enough sponsors, the wanna-be drivers would not be able to make races, and would tire of this soon. Looks like NASCAR will have to put up with this, or cut the fields. At least some of them are start & parkers so they’re out of the way early. Also, some of the really good racers don’t have enough good equipment, so they really are not a threat to win either.
I hate seeing good drivers turned away for drivers that come with sponsors, but can’t driver worth a lick or deserve to be in the sport.
Now with that said, I don’t know about Michael Annett or Brian Scott being on this list, but I completely agree with you on Paul Menard. For Menard, if it wasn’t for daddy, he wouldn’t be in the Cup Series or for that matter the Nationwide Series.
Also isn’t that sort of what is going on with David Ragan with UPS at RFR. Let me explain, I just don’t think Ragan in the Cup Series is good right now, he is struggling competely and hasn’t done much in 2008 (of course he almost made the chase in 2008, so thats something) he should be in the Nationwide Series or the Truck Series getting more experience, but since UPS wants him because he is marketable, he stays.
stevec – I do not think you can effectively legislate that kind of process. Just like in real life, once you get the government involved legislating and regulating, we’re screwed.
How long do you have to stay in the lower series? Is it based on race wins? Years? Poles? Points?
While Kenseth, Gordon and Stewart had ok Busch careers, they were not stellar. Jimmie Johnson was barely an “ok” Busch career. Should LaJoie, Todd Bodine, Jeff & David Green have been promoted over Johnson?
Just like in life, this can be about who you know and if you were lucky enough to born into a family of privilege. And just like in real life, you cannot legislate who will succeed or not based on gpa, classroom attendance, etc…
I’d like to agree with you on Menard, but in his 2 full-time years in the Nationwide, he was 6th in points. 2nd in points in 2006 if you remove Cup dual-series drivers.
He jumped to the Cup series, and yeah- he’s basically 3rd to last among drivers who run every race.
But its only his 2nd year.
Obviously his dad’s money bought him into the game. But he’s not that horrible for someone in their 2nd year.
If, in 5 years he still ranks near dead last amoung full-timers, sure. But who’s to say he can’t grow into, at least, a top-20 driver? And if he does, I think the argument is moot.
Racing is marketing-period!
Unfortunately, this has the stigma of often leaving the best on the sidelines. When a NASCAR driver thanks the throngs of fans for their support, it’s not so much for emotional support as it is for buying my t-shirt. That’s just the way it is.
Sports Car racing is pretty much all based on drivers bringing coin to the table. Prize money is virtually non-existent. The formula is: a team providing a service to make money, a “gentlemen” driver providing the money and a professional driver (paid by the gentlemen driver thru the team) who’s primary purpose is to coach the gentlemen driver at his racing (uh golf game). Oh yea, the gentlemen driver usually owns a major corporation and has an offspring ready to tag along and pretend like the professional driver. In reality though he is just the next generation of gentlemen driver.
In Grand Am the gentlemen drivers also run for a separate trophy called the “Sportsman Award”. That amounts to a “feel good” award way of saying you’re not very fast, but we like you funds.
What separates the “stick-n-ball” sports from racing? That’s easy…the stick and ball! Even with a juiced up bat, you still have to make contact. A juiced up car can mask a lack of talent.
Kudos to Goodyear (I guess) for making a tire that exceeded 10 laps, but was the Brickyard a snoozefest or what?
Strap them in cars not every one has the @#$%^ to drive…..
Oops forgot mention the current leader of the Grand Am Sportman Award standing is none other than…..JC France. He is the nephew of Bill France, Jr. and grandson of NASCARs founder Bill France.
JC is best known for this close racing: http://community.grand-am.com/showcase/gallery/view/b3ded231-2dc2-4b07-92cf-f800730b0a06
Neon – “Racing is marketing-period” Absolutely agree.
“Kudos to Goodyear..”
You have to be kidding me! I guess it is all relative. After one of the worst displays in the history of the sport, drivers/NASCAR/IMS were all congratulating Goodyear for doing what they are supposed to do….provide a good tire.
It was an absolute snooze fest and will do very little to put butts back in seats next year. Absolute dismal crowd. Note to ESPN….no aerial shots when all you can see are aluminum bleachers.
Jim2
Um… Like AC said… to add to that.
not only has sorenson done that, he has also paied his dues. Sorenson has won well over 200 races in the lower ranks such as late models, asa and arca…..He raced his way up like all the other guys did… SO, as far as not doing anything or payinghis dues.
you might wanna check your facts before you make a statement, espcially one that has wrong information..
Reeds 3 nascar wins, are Gateway 2x and Nashville. .Not to mention he lead the nationwide series pts as a rookie, and finished 4th in the final standings to Martin Truex, clint boywer and carl edwards(who won ROTY) hmm.. Hows that for not being good.
I actually think the most glaring example in any top series about sponsorship = ride is Eric McClure, since it seems that the only reason why he has a ride is because of his backing from Hefty (although I have heard he does a lot of campaigning for them).
But I think now is the wrong time to complain of this situation. Sponsorship is so scarce right now that some teams are losing good performance just to keep their teams up and running – Yates has only Menard’s team and the partnership team with HOF. Rensi-Hamilton is only up and running due to its Hefty sponsorship that comes with McClure. So you can’t fault the teams for doing this to stay afloat nor can you fault the drivers for wanting to race.
..”I just think it sucks that guys who have paid their dues and do have talent sit on the sidelines while others race because they just happened to have financing…”
Well, TC, welcome to life.
It happens in the real world too. Be it a promotion at work for the average Joe or the local racecar driver.
It doesn’t mean it’s fair but it will never change. That driver you refer to that doesn’t have the financing needs to get busy with marketing skills or have someone who can help get his name out to potential investors. You can’t do it alone.
Racing used to be fun now it’s BIG business.
Why do you think Denny Hamlin lost weight and put braces on his teeth…same with Biffle. It’s almost silly. Are these guys real people anymore or just the corporate clone. B-O-R-I-N-G!!!
What about this. While we know that some drivers that are buying their rides, do put some more deserving drivers out on the street (eg. Menard). Would some of these teams in the lower series even be running at all if the buy a ride driver wasn’t funding it?
I know it sounds ridiculous but if a sponsor is what a driver needs to get a ride nowadays, maybe a driver who finds himself out of a ride all of a sudden better get out there & start hustling. The game’s changed & you have to adapt.
It sucks big time what happened to Johnny Benson but you’re telling me that Timothy Peters (obligatory mention so the world won’t end) can secure a sponsor & Johnny Benson can’t???? I don’t believe that for one second. I think it was mentioned in an earlier post that Mike Skinner was out there hustling his ass off for sponsors in order to keep racing. He understands the game & he’s playing it & it’s paying off for him sitting second in points right now.
Todd Bodine who was race to race earlier this year is involved with the Copart challenge getting his team some needed sponsor dollars. Did that deal just fall in his lap? Probably not. Why didn’t Benson get it?
It’s nuts to have last years champ & 2005′s champ out of a ride because of a lack of a sponsor but to use my favorite over used phrase. It is what it is.
TC: You mentioned that “there is more driving talent in the garage…”
I guess that confuses me. I understand a select few drivers are marketable because of who they are. Dale Jr will ALWAYS be a big name, even if he was a 35th place driver.
However, wouldn’t a team be able to garner better sponsorship if they used this “better talent”?
You’re sitting at 20th place with a Reed Sorenson, and you’re saying his team is taking him over someone that is “better” and therefore, I suppose, could be contending for the Chase?
Measure said – “This seems like an argument in favor of franchising. I’m cool with that. With franchising, the drivers would be need to be skilled to keep a ride.”
How so?
An owner whether under the current system or some franchising scheme would still be under pressure to hire a driver that’s not only talented but can bring in cash as well. And in both cases sometimes the “hired gun” wins out.
That aside, ask perennial losers such as the Cubs, LA Angels or Arizona Cardinals [08-09 excluded] how well franchising works. It’s not the business plan that makes winners, it how the business is run.
Just want you guys to know I love reading your articles. Never posted before but I have been arguing this with my brother in law since the beginning of the year when he first started watching Nascar. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!!!!!
Knob #27-The praise for GY was tongue and cheek, hence the “I guess). I’m not sure this year was any better than last at Indy.
I like Mark Martin and have every bit of well documented respect for him, but after the restart yesterday cemented the nice guys finish 2nd theory. Put anyone but a sister Hendrick car in the lead and MM makes its doubly hard on the enemy. Team racing at its best, uhhhh worst. Wake me up at the end of the season.
Neon – Good. I was going to say I lost all respect for you!
I am with you MM & JJ. JJ makes it rough on you…put him in the fence! WIN!!
Christopher – #32 – yes, in theory a team should be able to acquire better sponsorships with better talent. However, (like chub points out) just as in the corporate world, in theory the company would operate better if they hired/promoted the most talented employees.
But talented folks that did not know the right person, never even got an interview. Talented folks that did not kiss ass (or the right ass) do not get the promotion. Likewise drivers that know/related to the right person at ACME Corp can bring $$$ to a team…and the teams goes for it.
With all due respect to Paul Menard & JC France, if they are not members of the lucky sperm club, they likely never get a chance to drive anything. Yeah, Paul is getting better, but on pure talent Travis, David G or Almendinger should have gotten the ride/sponsorship.
Get rid of the top 35 rule and make all the drivers race their way in. 3 provisionals per driver (not team) a year based on championship points for the 39th-42nd spots. 43 spot for past champ and that can only be used 3 times a year by any one previous champ. This would give past champs up to 6 provisionals a year.
People who ‘buy their way in’ will have to show their talent and qualify each week or go home.
I’m not for the funded guys, or against them. If the funded guys wore not there it’s not like the sponsor money would go to someone else. For Example if Paul Menard was not getting sponsorship from Menards would Menards be sponsoring another driver (take your pick), I really don’t think so.
So now you have 3-5 less cars trying for the race, or 3-5 more “park” cars, or even worse not a full field. Brickyard only had 3 drivers that did not qualify. Over the last decade or so I really don’t think there has been that many cars go home per race, other than the year Toyota first came in there was a surge.
Bottom line if there were not the funded drivers, who would be filling the spot with whose money?!!!
I think the bottom line is that NASCAR abhors change. Every change has come about through reaction instead of proaction. And most changes have come about as the result of tragedy of one sort or another. So don’t look for them to change the way the drivers come up through the circuits until the whole truck and Nationwide series runs out of juice and they have to do something to save both. Right now, they depend on the cuppers to save their butts in both series, when the proactive thing to do would be to make both a series of young drivers who can make their own personalities shine on the track and draw fans. I remember the year the Dover stands were full, watching two young men who were aces in Busch racing-Jr. and Matt. There was no need for cuppers to be there. That can happen again if NASCAR puts their mind to it-assuming of course,that fearless leader has one.
I’m coming in late on this but…
Ric: For Example if Paul Menard was not getting sponsorship from Menards would Menards be sponsoring another driver (take your pick), I really don’t think so.
Menards does sponsor another driver, Robby Gordon, who surely would be racing better than 34th if he had the whole pot of cash. Fo’ shizzle.
I’m not a fan of privilege or nepotism but Knob is correct when he says (paraphrased) that it would be a mess if NASCAR had the right to decide who races based on that criteria. If it did, Kyle Petty would have been out of a ride years ago.