You know, I always thought that NASCAR was run by the France family, and of course, in many ways it is. They still manage the day-to-day operations, bungle the Chase format annually, and call for the phantom yellows when JJ needs a lap back. And by God, they do a damn good job of it. But in this economy, it has become rather obvious that the France family is loosing their grip to a more powerful force: the almighty greenback.
Just ask Bobby Labonte. And while you're at the Yates shop, ask Paul Menard, too.
Yup, buried just beneath the surface of Bobby's benching lies Paul, and behind Paul, his Daddy's dollars. Bobby lost his ride, and it doesn't make a lick of sense. Unless, that is, Yates shows us his balance sheet.
Bobby Labonte: 18 years in the sport, 570 starts, 26 poles, 198 top 10s, 114 top fives, 21 wins, one Winston Cup Championship (no, not a Sprint Cup Championship; I distinctly remembering him raising the Cup and it said 'Winston Cup' on it), and the only driver to ever successfully pull off a pink paint scheme. Currently 30th in points.
Paul Menard: 6 years in the sport, 99 starts, 1 pole, 2 top 10s, 1 top five, no wins, and one Howie Mandel soul patch. Currently 32nd in points.
So who do you park when the Next Best Thing needs a seat? Bobby, of course!
In all fairness, if Paul keeps up his current pace, he'll have 5 top fives by the time he reaches 570 starts. No, sending Bobby to the pine wasn't about stats, skills, or history. It was about revenue, and Paul has one thing Bobby doesn't – a deep-pocketed sponsor that's (understandably) blind to his shortcomings behind the wheel.
It's no secret that NASCAR is driven by money. With sponsorship the driving force behind the sport, it's all about the bottom line. This makes it no different that any other professional sport, of course. The difference merely lies in the fact that NASCAR doesn't try to hide it. It is, literally, plastered on every available space. Those aren't logos. They are paychecks.
There is no players union. There are no franchises. The owners do not get a formal vote – on anything. (Oh, they can lobby, and just like in politics, the only ones with pull are those with the power. But just like in politics, your attempt to influence legislation can, and at times will, still fail. See Hendrick/Rousch and five-car teams.)
You don't want to drive the cars because they aren't safe, don't climb in the seat. Another driver will fill the void and gladly get paid to do it. You don't like the team limit rules, don't play by them. Another owner will fill the void and gladly take the start-and-park fee for doing it.
It's simple. When the choice is between everything and their way and nothing and yours, their way wins in a landslide. (Jeremy? Jeremy? You listening?) The cumulative mortgage on the jet, helicopter and 120-acre spread pretty much mandate it.
I've never really had a problem with this. In fact, it's what I embrace about NASCAR. It's free enterprise at 190 mph. It's just that I never imagined that NASCAR itself would succumb to such a fate. What made it what it is, is now partially eating it from within.
Toyota, Fontana, the Chase, and Erik Darnell: that's money talking, not NASCAR.
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