Is racing at the top levels of the sport just way too expensive? I know this has been a topic that has been discussed for decades, but more and more it seems like this is the case.

High profile organizations such as Roush-Fenway have scaled back the number of teams in their stable. Nationwide team Rusty Wallace Racing closes up shop, after putting both of their drivers in the top-10 in season ending points. All of this due to a lack of sponsorship.

Seems to me that if you can’t sustain your team based on race winnings earned, then as a team you are spending entirely too much. This just seems like a very bad business model to me. Now I know firsthand that to go fast costs money. Lots of it as a matter of fact. Paying the drivers the sometimes large salaries they are making also takes cold hard cash.

I for one do not begrudge what any racer manages to make for a living, they all deserve it. However, when it takes the multimillion sponsorships it takes to field a team, well a competitive team at least; how much is too much?

It really pains me to see so many quality racers going without rides because they don’t have mass sponsorship deals in place, or their sponsor decides that driver x might be a better representative for their company. How many incredible talents are there across the country that will never see their dreams come true because of these facts?

I have seen a whole bunch of these drivers over the years. I have also seen many a kid who doesn’t have what it takes, stick around way to long because of the golden spoon they may have been born with.

With all this being said, maybe the local short tracks can be better off because not everyone can find 20 million dollars sitting around. I remember as a kid that local heroes often remained just that, local heroes and it was great. Being able to watch a racer graduate from a pure stock class to a sportsman class, and eventually up to a late model; and stay there for many years was always really cool.

With all the “touring” series that dot the racing landscape, it just doesn’t happen anymore; and grass root racing is worse off for it. Some of these racers progress up the modern ladder, take a non-funded swing at the upper levels and more often than not; end up not even racing anymore. All of us fans are much worse for it.

Well, I’ll get off my soapbox for now, until next week; keep the shiny side up!

P.S. The short track season will be starting soon around you, get out to your local track and catch a show!

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