Competition for Nascar

by M.L. Morgan

Well, race fans, there has been a recent spate of commentary from many sources claiming Bruton Smith and Tony George are joining forces to create a competing league to Nascar. Despite the fact none of these so-called ‘sources’ has any credibility these rumors are gaining popularity, but not on this page.

As you long-time readers know, I’m not a defender of Nascar. They make a lot of mistakes. But this competing-league rumor is even more preposterous than Nascar’s current restrictor plate rules. I’d be laughing out loud if so many fans were not falling for this propaganda. I suspect this story was started by one of the many new-to-Nascar writers who have recently appointed themselves experts in order to make a few bucks from the enormous popularity of Nascar racing.  I’m talking about these “writers” who don’t know the difference between a doughnut on the driver’s door and a doughnut hole.

To avoid writing a 10-page editorial, I’ll just discuss the main reasons this competing-league idea is so absurd. Let’s start with the alleged conspirators who are the heart of this rumor - Tony George and Bruton Smith. Tony George, heir to the Indy 500, has already demonstrated his incompetence by causing a rift which resulted in the formation of the competing IRL and CART series. The Indy 500 which was always a highlight of the world-wide racing world, was diluted to a farce consisting of little-known drivers. A real sham.

Speaking of real shams, the alleged co-conspirator in this competing-league, Bruton Smith, reminded us recently what his opinion of stock-car racing fans is. He thumbed his nose at Winston Cup fans by promoting two horrible races at his Texas Motor Speedway facility. His lame excuses are rivaled only by Bill Clinton in audacity.

But let’s get down to the biggest reason these cockamamie rumors are so ludicrous. Money. The popularity of stock-car racing has turned what was once a sport into a huge business. The sponsors are paying nearly 10 million bucks to advertise their products on a first-tier Winston Cup car. That’s a lot of corn flakes or a lot of six-packs. These sponsors will never stand still for anyone who threatens their respective bottom lines. Bill France/Nascar is a proven money-maker.  Both for the competitors and the sponsors.

Nascar has some shortcomings, not the least of which is their incessant rule-changing in the guise of an eternal search for parity - spare me, please ! I don’t like it either. But despite their warts, Nascar IS stock car racing. Bruton Smith contributed a lot in the formative years of Nascar, and I give him his deserved credit for all he has done. Even though he and Bill France disagree periodically, I doubt he would ever forget how he became a millionaire. I am truly not a proponent of either of these men but I’ll never deny the contributions they both have made to what is now the business of Nascar. Their business relationship has always been symbiotic. These two men didn’t become moguls by listening to rumors started by ignorant, wet-behind-the-ears rumormongers. Neither did I. Trust me.

Check out a great site - A Lighter Side of Nascar. They have a great newsletter and the price is right -FREE.

Have comments or questions? E-mail: M.L. Morgan

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