[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 ...

[sgarnett]

I guilty of watching any form of racing.... Australian Jet boats, lawnmowers, Florida swamp buggies.....etc. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

I'll watch anything with a motor race. I'm not a diehard fan of any series, and don't really watch that much racing (can't, I'm busy autocrossing on Sundays), but I can enjoy all of it.

For that matter, I'd happily compete in any series that offered me a ride. Am I too proud to be a pro lawnmower racer? Heck no!

I do prefer the "privateer" races, though, simply because it's something I could conceivably do (or at least could have done, if I were younger and didn't have a kid), and the "run whatcha brung" varieties are always a hoot.

BTW, while they certainly aren't "grass roots", the Truck Grand Prix series is oddly fascinating to watch. Semis on road courses! Now who thought that one up?