Even NASCAR is feeling the economy (1 Viewer)

[Coop]

Here's some rumor grist from the roundy-rounders...

Smaller fields in NASCAR's future?
Another sign of the times is the rumor [Bob Margolis] heard in the Cup garage that NASCAR has floated the possibility of a change in the field size for the Craftsman Truck and Nationwide Series to 28 vehicles and the Cup field down to 36 sometime in the future.(Yahoo Sports)(10-13-2008)

That may not paint a very rosy picture for the PRO fields.

 

[DrRocket]

I don't see that happening. Money being money, I'd think they'd want as many paying team sponsors represented in the field on Sunday as possible. Now cutting back on the raceday payouts to the teams, I could see that......

Anybody remember the H E double toothpicks raised when Fox tried blanking out sponsors from the hoods of the cars during the pre-race introductions??? They blanked the ones who didn't buy TV ads during the race, claiming they were giving their TV ad buyers "added value." There was quite a hullaballoo. They "retreated" and said they'd end the practice by the next race. When it didn't happen, they claimed that "It took some time to reprogram the software."

 

[Coop]

That's just it...there are some seeing that there aren't going to be 43 sponsored cars on the property. Right off the top of my head, you have neither one of the Petty or Yates cars with sponsors for 2009...

Robby Gordon has run a few races this year without sponsorship. And there's already been a number of unsponsored teams running Busch and Craftsman series events this year.

NASCAR expanded the field to 43 some years ago because sponsored cars weren't making the cut in qualifying. I can see them reducing the grid because a lack of cars - and you are right - being able to reduce the purse size too.

 

[Andy]

Just more great news for ARCA.

 

[The Swegian]

That's just it...there are some seeing that there aren't going to be 43 sponsored cars on the property. Right off the top of my head, you have neither one of the Petty or Yates cars with sponsors for 2009...

Robby Gordon has run a few races this year without sponsorship. And there's already been a number of unsponsored teams running Busch and Craftsman series events this year.

NASCAR expanded the field to 43 some years ago because sponsored cars weren't making the cut in qualifying. I can see them reducing the grid because a lack of cars - and you are right - being able to reduce the purse size too.

I beleive I read somewhere that there are only 24 cars that have sponsorship in place at this time for next year. I haven't verified that but if it's true, I would be inclined to agree with you Mitch.