Backseat Blonde - A Decade Could Reshape Racing

June 29, 2004

A Decade Could Reshape Racing
By Allison Wagda

I admit it. Although I’ve threatened to boycott the Sonoma
race since the beginning of the season, when it came
down to it I just couldn’t miss a chance to see a race in
person. As much as I bitch and moan about the chaos
in NASCAR today, racing is still in my blood. I realized
I’d only be punishing myself if I stayed home.

I’m glad I went. It’s been a year since I’ve attended a race live, so I’ve been judging
all of the changes from the perspective of a couch potato. What I saw was a glimpse
of the future of NASCAR, for better or worse. Many of the changes will change the
face of NASCAR forever. And clearly, more changes are on the way.

So, what will NASCAR be in ten years? I have no doubt the racing series will
continue. There might be some bumps in the road, or even a pothole or detour or
two. But the sport is just too darn engaging to disappear anytime soon.

While I hope stock car’s top series will still be recognizable to its current fans a
decade from now, I also believe that NASCAR’s leadership will do whatever it takes
to achieve their growth goals. With that in mind I’ve decided to put to paper my vision
of NASCAR’s future.

Some of the core traditions will remain intact. The Daytona 500 will still be the
premier race. We’ll still see young, hot-headed rookies challenging veteran drivers
for bragging rights. At least one commentator will have the trademark southern
drawl. And the offspring of legends will continue to pay homage on the track to racing’
s forefathers.

Although many fans today are against the nationalization of the sport, within the
decade NASCAR will even begin to explore international markets. Initially, it will be
billed as an occasional special event. Possible venues include tracks in Mexico,
Japan and Canada. In fact, NASCAR has already shown some interest in this
concept by opening up an office in Canada. This migration overseas will change the
makeup of more than race locations. Drivers will emerge from around the globe.
International car manufacturers will compete along side their American counterparts.

NASCAR will claim to be satisfying fans outside our borders, but the real impetus will
be the ever-growing costs involved with racing combined with NASCAR’s own
financial aspirations. It stands to reason that NASCAR cannot maintain double-digit
growth figures by limiting its options to sponsors on American soil. And, with
everything else going global with the ubiquity of the Internet, NASCAR won’t be able
to resist the opportunities of the international marketplace.

In order to make such a massive change, NASCAR will have to whitewash many of
the traditions many older fans hold dear. The pre-race prayer will likely be replaced
by a moment of silence since a Christian message may, at least in perception,
alienate followers of significantly different faiths. The military salute will also fade in
significance. While the fighter jet flyover may continue, anything more could be seen
as too nationalistic to an international audience. In fact, a rumor was spreading on
the Internet last week that Nextel executives had asked NASCAR to tone down the
military honors, saying that the current celebration of our American soldiers could be
perceived as pro-war (the rumor also said that NASCAR should invite John Kerry to a
race since Bush came to Daytona, even though it’s highly doubtful that a billionaire
Massachusetts democrat would ever give a whit about racing for any reason other
than votes).

Given that Nextel is so new to racing, if the rumor is even remotely accurate (and they
usually are), it is an audacious request illustrating just how much power a lead
sponsor wields.

NASCAR will also downplay the sports roots. Of course, they’ll still market the
legends, but NASCAR’s beginning as a moonshine smuggling contest will no longer
be celebrated.

Sponsors will also change. Nextel will no longer be the lead sponsor. The telecom
industry is too fluid, at within 5-8 years Nextel will have maximized their investment
and the return will begin to shrink. Despite Nextel’s commercials claiming they are
“proud to be fans,” their Cup sponsorship is entirely based upon gaining customers
and improving shareholder profits. NASCAR, in a bid to make even more off an
international series, will out price itself and be sponsorless for several years.

Teams will also continue to struggle for full time sponsors. With the IRL in talks with
Champ car owners over a possible reconciliation, and the NFL and NBA showing
signs of further commercialization, competition for sponsor dollars will be even more
intense in a decade. A few key drivers will be able to demand full-time sponsors, but
most will be forced to revert to a patchwork system of multiple sponsors to run a full
schedule. Especially with rising costs associated with international competition. The
field could shrink by as much as half as a result, although if that looks to be the case
NASCAR will begin “intentionally” limiting the number of cars on the track claiming
safety concerns.

As for the drivers, many of today’s hottest stars will likely remain. Dale Earnhardt Jr.,
Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and perhaps Jamie McMurray will represent the
veterans. But some stars will leave for greener pastures. While Jeff Gordon is rarely
regarded as a young gun, he’s only in his early 30s. In the next decade, he could
easily be lured away by Formula One. Tony Stewart will get fed up with NASCAR and
will be welcomed with open arms into the IRL. Casey Mears and Kevin Harvick could
easily follow. It’s also possible that a new stock car series could emerge and give
NASCAR a run for its money.

In an ideal world, I’d love to see NASCAR look to the future but never forget the past.
Diversity initiatives are a step in the right direction, and planned growth will benefit
fans as much as the rest of the sport, helping fund unique tracks competing for
valuable race dates. But if the whole of my imagined future for NASCAR truly comes
to pass, the integrity of stock car racing will be forever lost.

But maybe that’s a sacrifice NASCAR is willing to make in pursuit of the almighty
dollar.

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