[mitchntx]

After watching a some of the coverage of the Daytona 500 this weekend and hearing a lot of discussion about the costs associated with feilding a competitive team and hearing the gnashing of teeth surrounding the dwindling sponsorships and hearing the concerns about enough cars to field a full grid and seeing Waltrip's wild tumble and seeing that tumble re-played on network after network after network ....

I began to wonder ....

Because it's all about the number of minutes a specific sponsor get's it's name on TV, when will a driver, who is an "also ran", purposely wreck his car, just get gleen a few extra minutes of sponsor coverage?

Is it cost effective to spend a $100,000 race car in order to keep a $10 million sponsor?

NAPA received tons of exposure from networks to local TV stations replaying his wreck. I would hate to see that happen on purpose, but ... it has to be there in someone's mind ...

[AllZWay]

JonV a couple of examples to disprove your theory that Oval racing is easy.

Do you remember Alex Zanardi in Iroc racing? He couldn't drive his way out of wet paper bag. Castoneves isn't fairing much better.

Christian Fittipaldi & the Mears kid have both lost their rides in Nascar because they couldn't cut it.
Scott Pruett & Anthony Lazzaro couldn't make it either and there a couple of other road racers that had their legitimate chances and could cut it I just can't remember their names right now.


On the other side of the coin....

Tony Stewart had never road raced until he came to Nascar. He sat on the pole his first time and has now won a couple of Nascar road races with some big name road racers in the field. Then he and Earnhardt, Jr(another NON-road racer) almost won the 24 hours of Daytona. Dale Sr.... also never road raced except the 2 a year in Nascar, then was very good in the 24 hour race a few years back.

Robby Gordon is a great road racer and open wheel driver....but he sux as a stock car driver. John Andretti is another good road racer and open wheeler that has really struggled in stock cars on ovals.

The Dirt track drivers are the ones that are coming and dominating in Nascar and that is primarily because they learn throttle & car control while racing high HP cars on dirt.

I am not saying any one form is easier than others, just that they all take an enormous amount of skill....just maybe in varying forms.

BTW... I agree with Bill.... that IRL races are unbelievably awesome at Texas Motor Speedway. I swear you stop breathing from time to time as they get so fricking close to each and nose to tail several cars deep.