Due to the current economic conditions, it is estimated that an excess of 700 people have lost their jobs in the past few weeks. With the number expected to grow through the new year, what will those who have lost their job do?

A meeting initiated by Humpy Wheeler was held this past Friday, and members from NASCAR, the NC Legislature, Centralina Workforce Development Board, Career Transition Consultants, NC Biotech Center, NASCAR Technical Institute, Women’s Auxiliary of Motorsports, NC-Community College Motorsports Consortium, Belmont Abbey College, Compass Career Management, The Wheeler Company and The NCMA all attended.

Over the course of the meeting, ways to get support to the laid off workers immidiately. The party put their heads together and devises a plan to promote the jobless group to different corporations in order to exhibit the benifits to hiring a person from motorsports.

To Wheeler this situation is nothing new, but the large numbers of this cycle has attracted his concern.

“In the 70’s and 80’s I think it was even worse economically, but teams were much smaller then,” said Wheeler. “Some teams back then were letting go 50% or more of crew members. But that was only 5 or 6 people. Today cut backs might be less percentage of the team, but could equal dozens per organization.”

“When you count up the small teams too that we don’t hear about, the Nationwide teams and smaller Truck teams we likely have over 1,000 people losing their jobs,” expressed Wheeler. “Historically those who lost jobs in the past moved back to their hometown States and we lost them from the area. The main thing is that we don’t lose them from the region. This has major economic impacts to all of the community including non-motorsports related business.”

With 17 years in motorsports under his belt, NCMA Executive Director Andy Papathanassiou has witnessed the effects of a sponsor withdrawing from the sport and teams closing down, but on a much smaller scale.

"The industry will be poised and ready to take advantage when the economy inevitably rebounds,” stated Papathanassiou. “Our immediate concern is to help those individuals in distress due to our current state.”