Racers grumble about slow start for new series
By DEAN MCNULTY, SUN MEDIA
TORONTO -- It has been more than three months since the Sept. 12 announcement that racing giant NASCAR had joined with retailing behemoth Canadian Tire to start a series that would launch this country's stock car racing teams into the big time.
But several of those teams are now telling Sun Media that they are struggling to put together a financial plan with prospective sponsors because of a lack of information on how the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will work, where the races will be held or even how many races there will be in its inaugural season.
Most teams in the old CASCAR Super Series who are expecting to be part of the NCTS expect they will need a bare minimum budget of $250,000 to field a one car team.
Some of the elite teams spent as much as $1 million to put together an 11 race CASCAR schedule in 2006.
Almost all of that budget must come from sponsors like Home Hardware, Snap-on Tools and Dodge who have long supported the old CASCAR series.
Jamie Hakonson, who runs Team 3 Red Racing No. 3 Dodge with her father Ed Hakonson, told Sun Media that in order for her to convince her team's sponsors to back her effort she needs details about what they are getting for their investment long before the start of the 2007 season.
"We received a package from NASCAR with all of their logos, their usages and licence rights," Hakonson said. "In that they said we would be having a meeting of all the teams in January (2007) to discuss -- among other things -- the race schedule."
For Hakonson, that's too little too late.
"From a business standpoint the board room meetings with potential sponsors have to happen earlier than January," she said.
To be fair NASCAR's international director Robbie Weiss told Sun Media that some of the former CASCAR teams may have had unrealistic expectations for the new series.
"We want to get this done correctly," Weiss said. "Not only on the competition side, but on the administration side and on the business and marketing side."
Weiss said that much of the behind the scenes work may go unnoticed by some teams but that NASCAR is very pleased with what has happened on several fronts for the new series.
"For one thing we should be able to announce a within a week or so that there will be a strong TV package to compliment the series," he said. "That, with the information we sent out to teams last week, should give them enough to go out and have discussions with their sponsors."
By DEAN MCNULTY, SUN MEDIA
TORONTO -- It has been more than three months since the Sept. 12 announcement that racing giant NASCAR had joined with retailing behemoth Canadian Tire to start a series that would launch this country's stock car racing teams into the big time.
But several of those teams are now telling Sun Media that they are struggling to put together a financial plan with prospective sponsors because of a lack of information on how the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will work, where the races will be held or even how many races there will be in its inaugural season.
Most teams in the old CASCAR Super Series who are expecting to be part of the NCTS expect they will need a bare minimum budget of $250,000 to field a one car team.
Some of the elite teams spent as much as $1 million to put together an 11 race CASCAR schedule in 2006.
Almost all of that budget must come from sponsors like Home Hardware, Snap-on Tools and Dodge who have long supported the old CASCAR series.
Jamie Hakonson, who runs Team 3 Red Racing No. 3 Dodge with her father Ed Hakonson, told Sun Media that in order for her to convince her team's sponsors to back her effort she needs details about what they are getting for their investment long before the start of the 2007 season.
"We received a package from NASCAR with all of their logos, their usages and licence rights," Hakonson said. "In that they said we would be having a meeting of all the teams in January (2007) to discuss -- among other things -- the race schedule."
For Hakonson, that's too little too late.
"From a business standpoint the board room meetings with potential sponsors have to happen earlier than January," she said.
To be fair NASCAR's international director Robbie Weiss told Sun Media that some of the former CASCAR teams may have had unrealistic expectations for the new series.
"We want to get this done correctly," Weiss said. "Not only on the competition side, but on the administration side and on the business and marketing side."
Weiss said that much of the behind the scenes work may go unnoticed by some teams but that NASCAR is very pleased with what has happened on several fronts for the new series.
"For one thing we should be able to announce a within a week or so that there will be a strong TV package to compliment the series," he said. "That, with the information we sent out to teams last week, should give them enough to go out and have discussions with their sponsors."
