Racing is a business – one some fans need to learn to understand

Yeah, Yeah we all have heard the term thou shall not judge.  Well it is hard not to judge someone in NASCAR has been in the storyline for much of the season for negativity in the sport and not positivity.  Kurt Busch and Roger Penske Racing agreed to part ways with one another on Monday and it opened up a whole list of discussions.  Some fans are not understanding the decisions that Penske made in letting go of Busch, and even though it is said to be a mutual agreement I have a hard time believing that.  There was too much of a spark that came from statements after the incident in Homestead occurred.

Racing is a gigantic business.  It operates the same as most everyday businesses do, and you must have a supplier and backer to help keep things going in a large racing inviroment.  I have been following racing the early 80s, and seen the sport make a huge rise because of the help of a sponsor coming in, in the 1970s and helping it rise to its limits with Winston.  Now sponsors play an even bigger part in the race teams in how they are ran, and they do have a say in what the driver does while wearing their logos.  If a driver does something inside the car, or causes something that brings a notice of negative response to their company, there is a chance that the driver might be let go.  I believe M&M’s showed that when they took their name off of the race car of Kyle Busch, and then I believe Shell/Pennzoil didn’t like what happened with Kurt Busch and his foul language used against Jerry Punch at Homestead.

Questions are always asked on why a team can let a driver go for just taking someone out of a race, or a few words being said.  Most of the time there are clauses in contracts that leave openings for drivers, owners, and sponsors to have a say in what happens.  And if there is a breech in that clause of the contract, something can be done about it.  The first incident I recall where a driver was let go because of something was Jeff Green with Richard Childress Racing in 2003, after he and teammate Kevin Harvick had an incident where Green had a few choice words to say about Harvick, and Childress fired him.

There is no “speaking his mind” in this sport.  Wherever you are, whatever you say, someone hears and sees what you say and do while you are at a track.  And ask Brad Keselowski, NASCAR still can dictate what you say in the social media area as well.  NASCAR runs this big business, and there are major players in who decides what.  I think when you go back to the incident where Carl Edwards wrecked Brad Keselowski, his sponsor Scotts made a statement and said it would not happen again as long as they were on the car.  The fact is sponsors have a say to these teams more than anyone will ever really know because there are only a handful of people to see contracts when they are signed.

Kurt Busch represented mainly one major company – the Shell Oil Company.  It gets even harder when you are signed to represent four to five companies as Edwards is, with companies like Aflac, Subway, Kelloggs, Fastenal, and UPS, all are high dollar money companies that want to be represented in a well mannered way. 

Then there are car owners, the next major piece of the puzzle in decision making.  I listened to Busch today on Speed in a Phone Interview and he said his relationship with Penske kept him from having any fun.  Roger Penske is a tough customer to please, but that’s why he has had success in all forms of auto racing.  And when it is the second time that one of the most well respected owners in the business cuts you loose, there are major issues somewhere and it isn’t with the owners.  Jack Roush did it first in 2005, now Penske?  That says a lot there for Kurt Busch.

The fact is, there are drivers more deserving of a top ride than one of the drivers that can’t get along with any crew chief that he works with, cusses out the media, and has an argy spout every time something can’t go right.  Jack Roush has two young kids that are very well deserving of good rides in the future, they are young, hold their temper in check and have extraordinary talent behind the wheel.  If things go the way rumors are saying, another guy that raced for Jack Roush will get a second chance with Roger Penske and he has something Kurt Busch does not, a respectful manner, a good voice of support for his sponsors and his race team, and he’s a great role model, that would be David Ragan.  I think that there are a lot of fans that don’t understand how this business actually works, but they need to learn it. 

Racing has its setbacks, it’s highs and lows, but every driver needs to earn respect before it is given to them.  I think when you look at the two brothers from Las Vegas, there is one thing that is there, they demand it, but have not earned it.  And I said this to someone the other night, you can be one of the greatest race car drivers on the planet, but that doesn’t mean you are going to make it in this sport if you cannot handle yourself off of the track with a little bit of respect to fans, the media, and your peers.  This season both Kyle and Kurt Busch showed things that were uncalled for with the media, their teams and for fans that look up to them.  I will always say this, no matter who it is, the light doesn’t always overshadow the dark.  There is a lot of darkness within both of these drivers careers, and if it is cleared up, it will only go down hill. 

It’s just a little something that some of us call “RISKY BUSINESS.”