2009 NASCAR running thread

The reason I always heard was that the drivers didn't really want to think about or be reminded of how fast they were actually going.

 

Because of what 2MCM said, and by putting another gauge in the vehicle, that's one more thing which can break, never mind having to rearrange the dashboard. They know what they're doing based on a tachometer reading in a particular gear.

 

And in another sponsorship blow for NASCAR: Allstate didn't even wait for the track to cool down before pulling its Brickyard deal.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090727/SPORTS0109/907270383/Allstate+terminates+Brickyard+title+deal

 

Somehow, the three sisters will blame this on Tony George.

 

Never knew these type deals existed:

Allstate refused to pay an advertising premium required by ABC/ESPN and so its name was not used during Sunday’s telecast. The network struck a separate naming rights deal with a restaurant chain and billed the race as the “Brickyard 400 presented by Golden Corral.”

 

To me that's dirty as hell.
Allstate should not have to pay the premium and ESPN should not have been allowed to sell the broadcast sponsorship to the race. Could you imagine the 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway presented by Pepsi?

 

Nearly any time you hear the broadcasters say something like "Welcome to coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Trackville presented by Big Mart" when you know damn well that some other company is the actual title sponsor of the race, it means that the company with its name on the race chose (or couldn't budget for) the extra fee demanded by the broadcaster. Yet another of Fox Sports' so-called innovations.

 

I have no problem with it. If you want advertising on my network you have to pay us for it -- not the Hulman family.

 

It is a very typical sponsorship deal -- if you want title sponsorship exposure on my network, you have to pay me.

I've sat in the press box at Kentucky Speedway with "Meijer Indy 300" clearly painted on the tri-oval grass. And they're calling it the "Optima Batteries 300" on ESPN.

 

It wasn't typical until Fox showed up.

 

So, in other words, ESPN can call a race any damn thing it wants ... unless the sponsor pays it?

Wow.

Maybe we should try that the next time the locals get pissy when we don't mention the title sponsor for some bullshit game/tournament.

"They didn't pay us"