Michele Rahal from www.RaceDayOnFox.com talks about NASCAR's consolidation.

Call it a recession, call it an economic downturn, call it whatever you like. We’ll let the economic pundits argue over the technicalities, or tea leaves if you will, of where the economy is heading.

The marketing departments of the corporations that breath life into the NASCAR Sprint Cup series don’t care what we, or the economists think it is. If the corporations believe its anything even close to ominous, NASCAR is going to feel the pinch for far longer than one might think.

Anyone can clearly see the wagons circling among the Super Teams of JGR, Hendrick and Roush. How? They’ve begun to consolidate the most marketable drivers who are available and, if necessary, helped these drivers extricate themselves from contracts that are nearing an end.

The losers in this consolidation are clearly the satellite operations such as Yates and other teams that have become second and third tier teams such as Ganassi, DEI and, though it seems ironic, Penske.
Dodge has an apparent power-plant problem and the introduction of a new engine this year is still debatable as to what success that might bring the teams who are sticking with the marquee.

What of the newly formed Stewart-Haas team? If Stewart doesn’t choose a marketable driver or drivers and produce relatively quick results, the sponsors won’t remain. The news that GM is cutting costs doesn’t bode well for this team, other than GM has heavily invested in Stewart. GM cannot afford to pull out of Sprint Cup under the perception that Toyota has chased them out. Forget “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday”, its more a perception of defeat that would further push GM into a financial hole.

However, Troy Clarke, President of GM North America, stated: Motorsports "have not gone without scrutiny. I'm not going to get into specifics about NASCAR. But there will be modifications-changes in our marketing footprint-in this area." He added, "NASCAR, SCCA club racing-we are looking at where we need to be." Funding a championship-winning team such as Chevy's Hendrick Motorsports and drivers of the caliber of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. costs GM at least $30 million a year.

Very few of the best of the rest have the sponsor or investor power to hang on, Red bull is one that has deep pockets in the person of Dietrich Mateschiz, the owner of Red Bull who fully intends to bring Vickers, Allmindinger and now Scott Speed to the front. Mateschitz does not like to lose and his Formula One efforts have proven that he will spend the money, direct the resources and stay the course until he succeeds.

At the very bottom of this sponsorship crisis lies the basic truth that when a corporation sponsors a team they have to extraneously spend $2 for every $1 they give the teams in order for the investment to pay off in sales, branding or shareholder value. It’s called activating a sponsorship and very few corporations can spend the additional $30-60 million to convert that investment into profits.

On the other hand, make no mistake this isn’t all doom and gloom as NASCAR has seen harder times than we have now. The 1970’s and 1080’s had their share of difficulties with limited manufacture involvement, less expensive sponsorships and, yes, less intensive competition among teams. NASCAR will change, but it will survive.

The pressure to win is great, the pressure to make the Chase is almost unbearable, but the pressure to win the Championship is beyond anything we’ve seen in any of the past years. Toyota has seen to that, thus validating Jack Roush’s cries of more support from Ford.

Roush’s ride through the streets on horseback shouting ‘The Japanese are coming! The Japanese are coming!’ have come true and his early campaign aimed at increased Ford support paid off. Chevrolet stayed the course, introduced a new engine and carefully consolidated its efforts under Hendrick and now Tony Stewart.

Dodge has, unfortunately, found itself painted into a corner as only Gillett-Evernham has risen anywhere near the top. Penske can only skirt the outer reaches of the Chase. Dodge has a great deal of development to do in order to keep from collapsing in its NASCAR efforts. That scenario isn’t so far fetched as the controlling interest in Chrysler is a private equity firm called Cerberus.

Private equity firms have one thing on their minds and that is cost efficiencies. If GM has put their racing programs on the block, imagine what Cerberus might do.

What’s the answer? There is none. The old adage that only the strong survive will be the order of the day and no one will actually have answers about who will be absorbed and who will go away until the Chase is over. Once that happens the silly season we’ve all become used to talking about will seem very small in comparison to who is left standing when we turn our thoughts to Daytona 2009.

Kyle Busch is making his bid to a modern-era record of 13 wins in a season and collecting the most bonus points in the chase for the championship.

After getting win number seven at Chicagoland, Kyle Busch is living the dream “This is a dream season, man,” Busch said. With seven events remaining in the race to the chase drivers hoping to catch leader Kyle Busch should make their moves now because time is running out.

With seven victories in 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season, Kyle Busch is making his bid towards tying, or perhaps breaking the NASCAR modern-era record of 13 wins in a season, set by Richard Petty in 1975 and Jeff Gordon in 1998.

Busch’s series-high seven wins in ’08 also give him 70 bonus points, 10 points for each win toward chase seeding. That’s a 50-point lead over Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne who each have 20 bonus points.

Yes I know that Carl Edwards has three wins but with a post-race inspection violation at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March he'll have to forfeited 10 bonus points.

Following race No. 26 at Richmond International Speedway, chase-eligible drivers have their point totals reset to 5,000 and are seeded according to the number of wins the first 26 events. The chase is contested during the season’s final 10 races and coming to an end at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

If the chase began now and we all know it doesn't but Busch would grab the top seed, followed by Edwards (who claims the tiebreaker), Kahne, reigning and two-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth.

Remember you still have drivers like Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth looking for their first win of the season. Last year all these drivers accounted for 13 trips to victory lane Gordon had 6, Biffle (1), Stewart (3), Harvick (1) and Kenseth (2).

Johnson, Earnhardt, Hamlin and Burton each have one win in '08 but in '07 Jimmie Johnson had walked away a two-time champ with 10 overall wins, three shy of the record.

Michele Rahal from Race Day on Fox Sports Radio

It sounds like the title from a Hollywood science fiction film that was written about a future event from the past. In some respects it is. The reference here is, of course, the dominant teams that we are seeing consolidate in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Hendricks, Joe Gibbs Racing, Roush-Fenway and Richard Childress Racing. The rest are aspiring to reach these levels of power, though they will require deals with Venture Capitalists, Investment Bankers and, to a lesser degree, wealthy privateers.

Let’s state here and now that this movement is in no way a precedent. Without reverting this into a history lesson, this methodology began long before World War II with Auto Union, whom we now know as AUDI and after World War II became a global mission by the great manufacturers of the day to see who could dominate whom. During the Post War years the most notable of these legendary brands were Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari.

Fast forward to the 1960’s and you see the American racing scene, through NASCAR, begin to adopt the same practice, though with fewer multi-car teams such as Holman-Moody, the Woods Brothers, Junior Johnson and, of course, Petty Enterprises. The idea that a one or two car team could lay claim to the label of ‘Super Team’ was largely dependant on the manufacturer itself and whether that manufacturer, whether it be Ford, Chevrolet or Oldsmobile gave the team the “Factory” blessing.

My, how times have changed, or have they? The Daytona 500 broadcast on live television in 1979 jumpstarted the change that would ultimately bring NASCAR into the American lexicon. The demise of Open Wheeled racing (CART) and the numerous Baseball strikes combined with Bill France, Jr’s ingenious television deals convinced the corporations that they had discovered the great marketing vehicle of the modern era.

Though NASCAR has never looked back, it has had its challenges and faces one today. A weak economy, let the pundits argue whether it’s a recession or not, will inherently slow down the investment of corporations in their marketing budgets. It has never made sense to me that the first thing these companies cut is advertising and marketing, but that is the historical process in all businesses. “Cost-Efficiencies” actually appear as revenue on their books. However, not everyone in the NASCAR garage will suffer shut downs and layoffs from this plight. This leads us to the next level of the rise of the Super Teams.

The manufacturers are fighting hard against each other and if you look at the situation between them carefully you discover a method to the madness. Mark Martin un-retiring, again, to drive the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick and stating that it’s because he wanted to simply “Drive the #5”, Tony Stewart bailing on Toyota and heading for Chevrolet with the promise of ownership and Lord knows what else behind the scenes he’s been promised and Roush-Fenway still managing to prop up Yates Racing without sponsors. All of these moves could be sold to the public on the surface that Toyota is the Evil Empire.

What is actually happening is that the larger teams are grabbing the most marketable, salable and best drivers in order to get the best sponsors, more money, better equipment and some information sharing system that they can use across their platforms whether their drivers like it or not. The smaller teams, such as Waltrip Racing, Petty Enterprises and the Woods Brothers are now left scrambling to find investors that can bring them at least to a level where the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t an on-coming train. These are the second tier teams with no big brother.

Joe Gibbs Racing and Red Bull will lead the Toyota assault. Hendrick, without a doubt, and perhaps Stewart-Haas will lead the Chevrolet camp. It may be too late for DEI as the rumors have already begun to swirl that they are dressing up for the investor-mating dance. In Dodge’s case only Evernham can be considered a contender for the moment as the manufacturer is still reeling from what its new masters, Cerberus, a private equity firm, may be doing to their racing program internally. A new engine this year wont be enough to keep up with the other manufacturers as the driver pool shrinks.

What does this mean to the smaller teams that can still manage to compete in the Sprint Cup Series? It means they will be competing for scraps for the foreseeable future even if they are aligned with a manufacturer. If they aren’t a satellite team, they won’t get what they need. It doesn’t mean that the fans won’t tune in, after all their favorite drivers are still in the hunt, they may not travel to the events with the frequency they have in past years, but they will tune in. Television ratings are up as a result of a phenomenon that has been observable when economies are bad or are perceived to be in decline, entertainment such as television, movies and sports in general increase in interest.

How do all these movements relate to the sport in general? It is becoming a manufacturers series much like Formula One. It wasn’t intended to be that way, but in order for it to survive at the popularity level it presently enjoys, it is necessary. It never ceases to amaze me how history, even racing history, repeats itself.

So pick your Super Team, root for that driver in that team and watch NASCAR evolve once again.

Rob D'Amico from Race Day on Fox Sports Radio gives his opinion why he thinks Tony Stewart is have all this bad luck in 2008.

Tony Stewart couldn’t finish Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. He became dehydrated and requested to be replaced. He actually had to relinquish his seat in the No. 20 Home Depot Joe Gibbs Toyota and seek IV fluid treatment in the infield care center. You could see it in his face, his eyes and the way he struggled to walk.

J.J. Yeley, who did not qualify for the race in his #96 Toyota, was summoned to be Stewart's relief driver and, after an unusually quick driver change, ended the night in the 20th position after being collected in a typical Daytona late race crash. The finish was enough to keep Stewart 12th in points. That is 541 points, to be exact, behind series leader, teammate and race winner Kyle Busch.

The last time Stewart gave up the wheel to another driver occurred at Dover International Speedway in June 2006 when he got relieved by Ricky Rudd after 25 circuits. The reason Stewart got out of the car on that day was that the the pain of a broken shoulder he received in a crash the week before at Lowe's Motor Speedway became too much to bear.

It’s no secret that stress can manifest itself in the form of physical distress. It had started a week before and Stewart didn’t feel well coming into the Daytona race. He was suffering from an upset stomach, headaches and weakness. That should sound familiar to all of us who have ever worked too hard, had too much on our minds or physically over extended ourselves. Adding fuel to this fire is the fact that he and his JGR team have seen some of the worst luck of their careers.

Stewart, a two-time Sprint Cup series champion, has been in position to win multiple races this season leading 502 laps, which equates to 564 miles and to date still has nothing to show for it. Despite the pressure he has placed on himself, he still barely sits inside the top twelve with 2,145 points, a scant two ahead of Kevin Harvick.

This doesn't mean it's been all-bad for Tony Stewart, he has five top fives and seven top 10’s in 2008. He is usually a late bloomer with most of his career wins coming in the second part of the season, he just hopes that starts sooner than later.

"It could be a lot worse,” Stewart said at Daytona, “They’re guys that have had a lot worse seasons than we've had, but this is a terrible year for us and our team. I think that is a compliment to how good the success this team and this organization has had. I don't know how long it's going to last hopefully it's not much longer, I'm afraid I'm going to be bald by the time it's done."

During the red flag at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, after leading the most laps (132), Stewart was asked about all the hard times his team was going through and I thought the guy was going to breakdown and cry.

Some would look at this story and say no big deal, so he didn't feel well, this is not the first time we've seen a relief driver used during a race. Well you would be right. Tony Stewart is from sound, middle American Indiana stock, but even drivers with his fortitude and determination can falter. You see the problem is that Tony Stewart is spreading himself too thin.

Stewart is trying to decide whether he'll be driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2009 or begin to secure his future as an owner by buying into Hass CNC Racing, a Hendrick satellite team. He is also wrestling with another unpleasant possibility, that being his crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, who has been with Stewart from the beginning of his Sprint Cup Career and together hold the longest driver/crew chief combo in the garage, may not be going with him if he starts his own team in 2009.

Think of it as the high school student heading off to college and leaving his high school sweetheart behind. It’s not easy, but life goes on. We’ll pick up the pieces and march forward.

Breaking up is hard to do no matter what the circumstances may be. One needs look no farther than to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his stepmother Teresa Earnhardt. This pair went their separate ways after ‘irreconcilable differences’ on who should own Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. No one ever thought that Dale Jr. would leave the company that is father built, but he did.

No one thought that Matt Kenseth and his long-time crew chief Robbie Reiser would have been separated, but they were.

All actions have a reaction. What happens to people during times of stress is, depending on who you are, you lose valuable communication, feelings get hurt and those who have a difficult time expressing themselves calmly, begin to fall silent. I believe that is what we are seeing take place on the No. 20 team.

So what is the best decision for Tony Stewart to make? Only Tony Stewart knows. But certainly the process is taking a terrible toll. The massive amount of stress from being pulled apart by corporate America, the thought of leaving behind people who helped to make him who he is and the prospect of falling further behind in this lackluster season is a recipe for disaster.

Stewart is one of the most talented drivers in the garage when he can focus on the task at hand but right now his eye is on another prize: Securing his future after his racing career.

The Cure

It looks like we are about to find out. Wednesday Two-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is expected to announce his official release from Joe Gibbs Racing, according to a report by the Charlotte Observer and Thursday he is suppose to make it official by announcing that he'll become 50% owner in Haas CNC Racing renaming it Stewart Haas Racing in 2009.

Michele Rahal - RACE DAY on FOX Sports Radio

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Glad To Be Gone!

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has probably never been happier to leave a track faster than he left Sonoma, despite a 12th-place finish, road races aren’t his cup of tea, or glass of wine if you will. He will definitely, however, be happy to see the oval at Louden, NW. The ovals are more to his liking and he has shown a consistency in the Hendrick cars that he hasn’t enjoyed in years. Lying third in the points he has a chance to reduce the gap between himself and the superstar formally known as Kyle Busch. Earnhardt is motivated but so are several of the Cup drivers coming off of strong finishes. Bowyer would love to repeat and Harvick would dearly love to break his winless streak. But then there’s a problem. Kyle Busch.

Look for the Gibbs cars to come off the trucks with an attitude that may not be all mental. Chances are that they have positioned the rear of the car with a small degree of yaw in order for them to turn more efficiently on the flat track. This deficiency in the COT may not be problematic for Kyle Busch if he can loosen up his car as his attitude is ‘loose is fast and I’m fast anyway’. Busch has done what all Formula One drivers aspire to do. Outperform their teammates.

Only Hamlin and Bowyer have fewer starts at New Hampshire, each with four, before collecting a win than Kyle Busch with six starts. Look for Busch to adjust his car as the race goes on to make it as loose as possible for the final run. Advantage Kyle Busch.

Kyle Busch Can Rule The World?

My having picked Kyle Busch to win this weekend isn’t a function of being psychic, though I do possess many talents. In fact, you couldn’t place a bet in Vegas and make money by choosing Busch to win in New Hampshire, or the Championship for that matter. What you could do is say that he’s one of a very rare breed of driver that occasionally comes along. That’s right, Dale Earnhardt, Sr., Mario Andretti or Michael Schumacher. All are phenoms and all seemingly genius in their execution of the art form we call racing cars. He seems unchallenged at the moment.

He does, however face challenges and the one that is most ominous to Kyle Busch is Kyle Busch himself. There is no doubt in my mind that as his points lead began to dwindle prior to his brilliant drive in Sonoma, “The Coach”, in typical Joe Gibbs fashion, slammed the velvet hammer down upon the young stars head. It wouldn’t be difficult to imagine Gibbs reminding Busch that a Sprint Cup Championship is on the line and despite the fact that Busch loves to frolic around the racing world proving his prowess for all to see, he is under a contract that is worth millions of dollars to himself, the sponsors and the team. Game over, it’s time to get down to business. If the race is at the same track, go do it, but if you have to travel, forget it.

Kyle Busch has attracted worldwide attention to the point that Toyota, in private circles, is no longer calling his forthcoming test of their Formula One car a “demonstration”, but rather a full blown, full race mapped engine test.

This is no small feat for a tall, brash American to accomplish. A real Formula One test can cost a million dollars when done correctly and apparently Toyota is willing to take that risk.

Being American, it's even more apparent that the manufacturer has designs on using Busch in this event later in December as a reminder to all that Toyota is dedicated to America itself. Great Public Relations and even greater if the engineers give him a fair shake. No full-time NASCAR driver has ever made a switch to Formula One.

Could he really be that good?

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