Dear NASCAR: Get a Clue!

Dear Brian France:

It's time to retool NASCAR. While your family guided the franchise through good times, there's no denying that times have changed. The economic crisis means the bottom is falling out of pricey sponsorship deals that fueled the NASCAR machine for years. With corporate sponsors accounting for roughly 80 percent of the typical NASCAR team's budget, the $30 million in fees that drivers such as Jimmie Johnson command are a thing of the past.

Americans are waking up with hangovers from our energy addictions. We're feeling queasy at the sight of NASCAR drivers circling the track burning colossal amounts of precious fuel. Yet, we still love cars. So there remains an opportunity here and it includes the sport doing its part to deliver a return on investment to its most generous sponsors--the Big Three automakers.

It's time for NASCAR to pull a U-turn. Leadership needs to get on board the green express and point NASCAR in the direction of sustainable, renewable auto sports. Why not create races for hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles? Make it about low emissions, speed and duration. This would be a boon for American auto makers who could use it as a platform to innovate and create excitement for the alternative vehicles they are feverishly bringing to market. Imagine that, NASCAR could help save jobs and keep the Big Three relevant, while perhaps saving tax payers from having to pick up the tab on another costly bailout.

And it's not just about being green, it's also about being trustworthy. The NASCAR smoke machine that would have us believe auto racing appeals to a large swath of college-educated women is kaput. Companies bought into the myth to justify paying outrageous sponsorship fees while passing the costs along to suburban female shoppers in the price of goods. It was a fable that made putting Dale Earnhardt's picture on a box of children's cereal seem like a no-brainer. And it was, more or less.

Turns out the NASCAR audience is a beefy niche, albeit a loyal, beefy niche. The hard cold fact of the matter is that grocery store managers are some of NASCAR's most adoring fans. They willingly grant NASCAR sponsors more shelf space in exchange for all manner of freebies.

NASCAR has earned a rightful place in American popular culture. But as we fall deeper into this downward spiral, it will be important for the people who create the culture, whether that be the France family with its NASCAR juggernaut, or Robert Redford with Sundance, or Oprah Winfrey with her media empire, to lead the way to a more enlightened way of life. It won't happen by looking in the rear view mirror. We all need to look up from the ditch we've dug and conjure a new society--one that is more environmentally sound, more inspiring and more innovative.

Yours truly,

Patricia Martin

Comments

[thorn321]

Sorry I don't agree with you on this. what would you like the teams to do? Maybe they can use methane gas? They can take turns sitting on the gas can. Ha ha This "go green" deal that is going around is nothing new. remember back in the 70's were did the same thing. sure it worked for awhile but at the end of the day it died. Like so many other Al Gore ideas. I hate to tell you this but we have other issues that cause the ozone to be ripped apart. Like the Space Shuttle. Every time that thing leaves the launch pad it blows a big hole in the ozone. you don't see NASA making any changes. do you? then you go as far as to insult the fans. Have you ever been to a race? Better yet you ever have a hero? I did and still do. My hero well I have two of them one my Grandfather a retired GM worker Yea that's right GM. and the late Dale Earnhardt the man that help shape NASCAR. I'm sure if Dale were alive he would have a few choice words for your little story about going GREEN.
Me I think Going Green is a joke. you might mean well but at the end of the day the damage is done. you cant fix broken. I also suggest that you go to a race. Being in the press you can get just about anywhere.

[MRWUNDERFUL]

HI..AS A RACING FAN IN GENERAL..CARS/BIKES ETC. WE UNDERSTAND SOME PEOPLE DONT GET IT..SOME PEOPLE COULD CARE LESS ABOUT POLITICS OR HUNTING OR MUSIC .THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THAT THEY ARE STUPID OR CAN BE LUMPED TOGETHER IN GENERAL.I HAVE RACED CARS FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS. IT IS THE MOST FUN YOU CAN HAVE WITH YOUR CLOTHES ON. THE SKILL LEVEL OF THE DRIVERS YOU SEE ON TV IS INCREDIBLE YOU SHOULD TRY IT. LOOKS REALLY EASY ON TV LIKE A LOT OF THINGS.NASCAR KNOWS THE CARS ARE OLD SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY ASK EM. THEY CALL IT "THE SHOW".IT IS A FAN ORIENTED SPECTACLE.IF YOU WANT TECHNOLOGY GOOGLE "F1".THIS YEAR THEY WILL HAVE A KINECTIC ENERGY RECOVERY SYSTEM ON BOARD.WATCH WHAT THAT DOES TO HYBRED TECHNOLOGY.SIZE/WEIGHT WILL COME DOWN PERFORMANCE WILL GO UP.IF YOUR MATH IS CORRECT A SEASON SPONSORSHIP COSTS LESS ANUALLY THAN GM IS BURNING THRU IN LESS THAN 1 DAY.I DARE SAY IF THE RACING EXCITEMENT WERE NOT THERE THEY WOULD BE IN WORSE SHAPE ..PS DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK... CIAO

[tanmany2k]

Baseball players earn $ 30 million per year, right? Why should Nascar drivers be different? Is it because you perceive Nascar fans as illiterate southern idiots without college degrees?

I love Nascar. I am female. I have a college degree.

[FarmerJ]

Patricia Martin: Get a Clue

The NASCAR smoke machine that would have us believe auto racing appeals to a large swath of college-educated women is kaput. Companies bought into the myth to justify paying outrageous sponsorship fees while passing the costs along to suburban female shoppers in the price of goods.

I don't really understand what being a woman or college educated has do with NASCAR, and I've never heard one time anyone promoting that idea. And I'm pretty sure NASCAR sponsors are well aware of the demographic that does follow the sport. Look at the sponsors, you've got beer, home improvement, car parts, tools. Seems like stuff NASCAR followers are buying. But I am sure that if Home Depot or Budweiser found out college educated women were not watching, they would pull their sponsorships.

"The hard cold fact of the matter is that grocery store managers are some of NASCAR's most adoring fans." Where did this information from? Can i get a reference to these "facts" please

[rob2007]

In the '70s, when we were lined up at stations during gas rationing, there was a similar call to ban the Indy 500 in order to conserve fuel; until someone did the math and discovered more gas was burned by NFL fans going to the games than by all the race cars in all the series.

I'm not a NASCAR fan, I prefer F1, but I think there is something to the theory of race fans going to see crashes or, as the drivers and fans quaintly put it, incidents.

I see no need to waste huge amounts of jet fuel doing F-22 and Stealth flyovers to the National Anthem just so good 'ol boys an' girls can feel that patriotic swell that we all end up paying for in our Defense Department-bound taxes.

[MajorKong]

It would be nice to see them use some modern technology instead of driving around in the equivalent of '68 Impalas.

[davidray]

miracles don't need motors and right now we need miracles.

[rabiddog6708]

NASCAR is clueless and to get a clue would put them out of business. Cars going round and round really fast is really dull. I think Bill Maher is right....a lot of people are watching, waiting for a big wreck...kind of watching hockey to see the fights break out.

[BSERIUS]

first , we are not out of oil , especially if we go after OUR OWN. Second... until the news media stops flying all over the world and Politicians , including Al Gore, stop having their SUVs idling with the air conditioners running for hours, and Hollywood elite tears down their taj majal mansions ...Then you can pontificate on NASCAR...WE ARE NOT IN A DITCH....The trendy bashing mantra of energy addiction is the equal of "white guilt" . You guys can't stand to be optimistic about anything.

[MajorKong]

We have maybe 3% of the world's oil reserves and we use 25% of the world's oil production. Do the math.

[RobinSeattle]

"We're feeling queasy at the sight of NASCAR drivers circling the track burning colossal amounts of precious fuel."

If by "we" you mean one eco-activist, then okay.

NASCAR is boring to me, but c'mon, it is such a small part of the problem it is like a fly speck in a ten acre wheatfield. Have a sense of proportion or risk looking like an over-reaching dork.

A better strategy would be calling on NASCAR and its considerable technological know how (as well as that of a goodly segment of its audience) to help us solve our energy and transportation problems. That would be a win-win. You look like pals with them and thus don't alienate working class racing fans and they don't feel like they are under attack by politically correct environmentalists. It's called diplomacy. Look into it. .

[ObjectiveRealist]

I think you're onto something, but I don't know about NASCAR doing it. Then again, I don't know about NASCAR. I have heard that automakers consider racing beneficial for the free advertising, and possibly the occasional design input but I'm not sure about the latter. For sure, I'd pay to see competitive racing of cars powered by natural-gas, biofuel, and/or batteries -- unless they use corn ethanol!

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=grass-makes-better-ethanol-than-corn

[larry278]

If the France family see how it will improve the marketing of NASCAR, they will adapt part of the ideas into NASCAR. NASCAR was started in an area of the south where incomes were low. It grew & grew past its early fans & drivers into a big money national spectator event. It may look to its roots to survive in an era of tight money & high unemployment. NASCAR could also be sold to another promoter. You have to be a special person to enjoy sitting & baking in a hot grandstand for hours. Maybe being a mechanic or knowing enough to be a mechanic makes following NASCAR interesting. No, I don't follow NASCAR, even on TV. I'm not a mechanic or a fan of any sport. NASCAR could end up like Roller Derby. Roller Derby survives in a very limited niche market. It's almost like semi-pro football with dedicated players & very loyal fans, a very small group of fans.

[cnobody]

if you are advocating green auto racing, fine, there's probably a market for it somewhere. The American LeMans series is trying it out, I believe. But making that request of NASCAR is like asking the NFL to switch to flag football. There are lots and lots of different auto racing sanctioning bodies out there, not just NASCAR. There are many reasons people find NASCAR appealing, some of which are directly tied to the gas guzzling of the cars; the noise, the rumble of the engines, the near 200mph speeds. These things would be diminished with the green-tech that we have now. Will it change in the future? Probably, but not any time soon. Perhaps NASCAR could sponsor a lesser series and see how people reacted, but it would be huge expense that they probably wouldn't be willing to stomach, given the lean economic outlook. They could, perhaps, strike a deal with the Tesla company and Tesla could sponsor the IROC series.

[JBS]

And throw in the occasional RIGHT TURN while you're at it.

[jodiblondi]

give nascar a break and all who enjoy watching the race every week,you make money typing,nascar makes more racing cars,,you relax tearing people and company 's apart,,nascar makes billions and makes millions of people happy..you do your thing we do our thing,,,,,,go nascar

[strifeknot]

Man, I hope this post is satire.

[larry278]

Go to a NASCAR race & find out.