FUMES

Tuesday

Feb082011

Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 09:34AM

February 9, 2011

Can NASCAR learn to exist in a world of reduced expectations?

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. It's no secret that NASCAR's declining fortunes have been well-documented of late. Everyone from the card-carrying members of the motorsports and stick & ball sports media to the mainstream media has delineated NASCAR's litany of problems -- the declining TV ratings and in-person attendance, declining revenue, the endless search for sponsors, etc., etc. -- and I'm quite sure that the powers that be in Daytona Beach are just as sick of hearing about it as we are. But how will NASCAR cope with existing in a world of reduced expectations? How can you cut back when everyone -- the teams, the drivers, the tracks and the local communities dependent on those tracks, the corporate sponsors and NASCAR itself -- has grown addicted to the circus and everything that goes with it?

The death march masquerading as the NASCAR schedule has been pumped-up and expanded over the years to the point that no one involved with NASCAR can comprehend how to change it. For a company that became used to the ever-expanding growth mindset over the previous decades, the idea of cutting the schedule back is anathema. And so too for the teams, the sponsor packages and the TV network coverage, everything has been geared to this obscenely long schedule that NASCAR has created, so it's easy to see why discussions to actually reduce the schedule never get very far.

Yet something clearly has to give. NASCAR can't continue rearranging the same schedule without cutting back, because the current schedule and all of the costs associated with it has simply become untenable and a bad business case. Hard decisions are needed. Old familial relationships that NASCAR has with owners of tracks across America will come under severe pressure as the phrase "things have always been done that way" gives way to "we're sorry to have to tell you this but we won't be visiting your track twice in 2012."

It's really that simple.

NASCAR reached its peak several years ago now. The powers that be leading NASCAR can't continue to operate under the assumption that things will get better, because that's a fool's errand. I watched the Detroit Three operate under those assumptions for 25 years and two of those car companies ended up in bankruptcy.

Not getting out in front of the problem is not dealing with the problem. NASCAR has reached the point where a serious reduction of the schedule is crucial to their long-term survival.

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Daytona Beach, Florida, 1963. Dan Gurney standing by his No. 0 Holman-Moody Lafayette Ford at the Daytona International Speedway after qualifying for that year's Daytona 500. Gurney qualified 11th and would finish 5th in the race behind winner Tiny Lund (No. 21 Wood Brothers English Motors Ford), Fred Lorenzen (No. 28 Holman-Moody Lafayette Ford), Ned Jarrett (No. 11 Burton-Robinson Ford) and Nelson Stacy (No. 29 Holman-Moody Ron's Ford Sales Ford).

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out ford.artehouse.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" with hosts John McElroy, from Autoline Detroit, and Peter De Lorenzo, The Autoextremist, and guests this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.