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stridsberry
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http://www.teamracin.com/Articles/Ann_121802.htm
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Has greed taken over the France family???
Ann Stacy -- TR Staff
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Since Ken Berger wrote "Gas Money" for Newsday (December 8, 2002), many writers have voiced their opinion on the state of NASCAR. All of what I have read has been from my male counterparts, so I thought it was time for a female point of view. While I don’t have all the answers, I certainly have my opinions – I am a woman, after all!
If you haven’t had the chance to read the article, it’s at http://www.newsday.com/sports/motorracing/...7905dec08.story. Walter Newcomb of StockCarCity.com wrote another perspective on the story. His story can be seen at http://www.stockcarcity.com/story_dec11_newcomb.html. Our own John Ray has also commented on the article. NOW – it’s my turn, so – here goes:
First, I agree that the France family has done an AWESOME job to grow the sport to where it is today. BEFORE YOU TAR AND FEATHER ME, read on. From where the sport started with Big Bill France to where it is now is as different as night and day. 50 years will do that for you. The sport has seen unparalleled growth and it shows no sign of slowing down in the near future. And although some fans are being left behind (I’m dealing with the monetary here, not the ethical – that’s another story!), you have to admit, purses have never been higher and money is flowing like a river and just about everyone associated with NASCAR is all the richer for it.
HOWEVER, as always, I have a few BIG problems with our fearless leaders.
DRIVER AND FAN LOYALTY. We are some of the most crazy, rabid and loyal fans out there. Right away, there’s a conflict. NASCAR DEPENDS on our loyalty. Where else are we going to find the best racing in the world? We get hooked on a driver, catch the "loyalty bug" and then can’t get enough. It’s as addictive as a drug (if you will) for some of us. I’VE GOTTA HAVE MY RACING AND MARK MARTIN (or insert your favorite driver’s name) BETTER BE A PART OF IT!! For some of us, the tradeoff between our disgust over the greed that seemingly has taken over NASCAR has outweighed our loyalty to the men behind the wheel. Fans feel that NASCAR doesn’t seem to care about them.
On the other hand, the drivers and teams are all about the competition. They crave it and sacrifice just about everything to reach the upper echelon of their profession. NASCAR depends on that, too. If the drivers want to compete in the highest, most competitive racing series in the world, they’d better just shut up and race. They’ve got them right by the scruff of the neck because there are too many out there who would strap into their ride in a heartbeat. What are they supposed to do?
Basically, my problem here is that NASCAR doesn’t seem to be reciprocating the loyalty back. Higher and higher ticket prices and inflated hotel prices during events are out pricing the families who "got them here." If the drivers complain, they can be banned from competing. There’s nothing I hate worse than being manipulated.
NASCAR and ISC. This is one of those problems that give me a "queasy" feeling in the pit of my stomach, like we haven’t heard the last of this one. Mr. Berger wrote, "In a business model unlike any other in sports, one family – the family of NASCAR founder William H. G. France – controls NASCAR’s TV contracts, races and most of the racetracks. It makes all the rules and divides all the money. It’s as if one family owned the entire NFL and more than half the stadiums." With the last 5 new Winston Cup dates given to tracks owned (at least in part) by ISC, how can Jim Hunter (NASCAR Vice President of Communications) stand there with a straight face and tell everyone that there is no nepotism between NASCAR and ISC. PLEASE!! And they are "brushing off" the Texas lawsuit – which I feel is a BIG mistake. Mr. Hunter has made NASCAR’s position VERY clear stating, "We are vigorously defending that lawsuit…we don’t think it has any merit." I have two words for NASCAR – be afraid. Can you imagine what would happen if things start coming together for the alleged ISC/Donald Trump partnership for a track near New York City?? How can Bill France Jr., CEO of NASCAR possibly separate himself from Bill France Jr., CEO of International Speedway Corporation?? Why are the tracks and NASCAR splitting 75% of the media monies?? What kind of morons do they think we are??
I see the Texas lawsuit as being a BIG problem for ISC and NASCAR in the near future. Johnny Cochran will eat them alive – no nepotism, yeah right. The France Family’s denial is just another slap in the face. I always did like DW’s analogy, "It’s like leaving the fox in charge of the hen house." Exactly.
ALL THAT MONEY: NASCAR will receive almost $1.9 BILLION this year in revenues and only 18% goes back in purses and end of the year points awards. While every business deserves to make a profit, when you are building that empire and making that profit on the back of others, there is a responsibility there that NASCAR has yet to take care of. While I agree that the sanctioning body DOES NOT need to be involved in contract negotiations between the drivers and their teams, NASCAR should have a retirement program/pension plan for the drivers/team members. While NASCAR doesn’t consider the teams/drivers/crewmembers employees, they are making all their revenues off the backs of these men and women. I believe there is accountability there. Pension plans can be shared (drivers/owners/teams and NASCAR could contribute), something similar to what you and I might have. NASCAR wouldn’t be funding it ALL, but they should be helping some of the crewmembers who don’t make the millions the drivers do. NASCAR could certainly afford to maintain the fund and the plans can be specialized to permit only members of teams to be involved. It really is a very easy solution to a HUGE problem in NASCAR.
Just to get you up to speed on all the monies from the media deal, it is worth a reported $2.4 billion – with 10% going to NASCAR, 65% going to the tracks and ONLY 25% going to the men who put their lives and $$$ on the line to race every week. Again, Mr. Hunter has brought me to the point of nausea when he states, "tracks receive most of the broadcast revenues because they’re expensive to build and maintain, and because they carry a lot of debt." OK – that makes it right – HUH?? Yeah, let’s feel bad for ISC and SMS. Unfortunately the Bahres and the Mattioli’s will be caught in the middle.
Keep these next words in the back of your mind – in 2006, the new media deal will need to be negotiated. Do you think the young guns will have the same loyalty as the old guys do? OR will they want more of the pie? Scary showdown in the wind, huh? Where will the competitor’s loyalties lie after the slap in the face they’ve been receiving??
SAFETY DIVISION: I’m getting the bad impression that the "safety division" was implemented just to pacify irate fans and is not taken seriously enough. Have you heard anything from the division since its inception?? Me neither. While the France family is sitting on their BILLIONS down in Daytona, what is happening in Concord? Not much from what I see.
NASCAR needs to get with it. They need to STOP being reactionary and START being aggressive in their pursuit of safety. LIVES depend on it. Instead of waiting for something to happen (or someone to DIE), NASCAR should be at the forefront of safety innovations. While it’s great that teams are taking safety seriously, NASCAR should be LEADING the charge instead of reacting to disasters AFTER they happen. How many more have to die before NASCAR will assume their role as an innovator, instead of sitting back and letting everyone else do all the work??
NASCAR has always seemed VERY secretive about its inner-workings, some may even say shady. And being an accountant, I would LOVE to be up to my elbows in NASCAR financial statements. BUT, none of the "governing bodies" are made to divulge their inner-workings, so why should NASCAR be forced to a higher standard than Major League Baseball or the National Football League or the National Basketball Association?? My response is this: They ALL should be made to prove their financial status. All of these "professional sports" fit the definition of a monopoly. Believe it or not, they are still illegal in the United States. Publishing their financial statements would solve most of the problems and end most of the questions. BUT - do you think the France family wants people to know just how much money they are keeping for themselves??
This statement from Jim Hunter left a terrible taste in my mouth. "For years the France family struggled to make ends meet to build both sides of this equation into what it has become…our business model is the epitome of American business. The people who make it successful should get a big piece of the pie." Here’s my comment on that: Give me a FREAKIN’ break!!! Mr. Hunter wants me to feel compassion for Bill France and his brother Jim France?? The men who are worth over $1 BILLION each?? The powers that be at NASCAR need to start spreading the wealth, (ESPECIALLY to the much neglected Safety Division) and stop lining their pockets with new ideas for tracks. They need to take care of what they already have (shall I say it again?? OK – THE SAFETY DIVISION!!!) and stop pushing more 1.5 mile, D-shaped ovals down our throats.
I can’t quite figure out where the complete and unquestioned loyalty and love for Big Bill France turned into the contempt and untrustworthy feelings being thrown at the current NASCAR royals. Most talk of Big Bill with admiration and respect, while now there’s an air of disapproval and wariness with Bill Jr. and his kids. Whether they truly are or not, they are coming off as greedy, money-grubbing, hardnosed penny pinchers who would rather line their pockets than do what is right. Sounds like they need a PR makeover. Better yet, they should be happy with being BILLIONAIRES and start putting some of those new millions "back into the business."
To conclude, you gotta love Darrell Waltrip, who describes NASCAR this way, "Having a dictatorship is a great thing – when you are the dictator." Well said, DW.
Email A Friend
You can e-mail Ann here.
-------------------------------------------
Has greed taken over the France family???
Ann Stacy -- TR Staff
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since Ken Berger wrote "Gas Money" for Newsday (December 8, 2002), many writers have voiced their opinion on the state of NASCAR. All of what I have read has been from my male counterparts, so I thought it was time for a female point of view. While I don’t have all the answers, I certainly have my opinions – I am a woman, after all!
If you haven’t had the chance to read the article, it’s at http://www.newsday.com/sports/motorracing/...7905dec08.story. Walter Newcomb of StockCarCity.com wrote another perspective on the story. His story can be seen at http://www.stockcarcity.com/story_dec11_newcomb.html. Our own John Ray has also commented on the article. NOW – it’s my turn, so – here goes:
First, I agree that the France family has done an AWESOME job to grow the sport to where it is today. BEFORE YOU TAR AND FEATHER ME, read on. From where the sport started with Big Bill France to where it is now is as different as night and day. 50 years will do that for you. The sport has seen unparalleled growth and it shows no sign of slowing down in the near future. And although some fans are being left behind (I’m dealing with the monetary here, not the ethical – that’s another story!), you have to admit, purses have never been higher and money is flowing like a river and just about everyone associated with NASCAR is all the richer for it.
HOWEVER, as always, I have a few BIG problems with our fearless leaders.
DRIVER AND FAN LOYALTY. We are some of the most crazy, rabid and loyal fans out there. Right away, there’s a conflict. NASCAR DEPENDS on our loyalty. Where else are we going to find the best racing in the world? We get hooked on a driver, catch the "loyalty bug" and then can’t get enough. It’s as addictive as a drug (if you will) for some of us. I’VE GOTTA HAVE MY RACING AND MARK MARTIN (or insert your favorite driver’s name) BETTER BE A PART OF IT!! For some of us, the tradeoff between our disgust over the greed that seemingly has taken over NASCAR has outweighed our loyalty to the men behind the wheel. Fans feel that NASCAR doesn’t seem to care about them.
On the other hand, the drivers and teams are all about the competition. They crave it and sacrifice just about everything to reach the upper echelon of their profession. NASCAR depends on that, too. If the drivers want to compete in the highest, most competitive racing series in the world, they’d better just shut up and race. They’ve got them right by the scruff of the neck because there are too many out there who would strap into their ride in a heartbeat. What are they supposed to do?
Basically, my problem here is that NASCAR doesn’t seem to be reciprocating the loyalty back. Higher and higher ticket prices and inflated hotel prices during events are out pricing the families who "got them here." If the drivers complain, they can be banned from competing. There’s nothing I hate worse than being manipulated.
NASCAR and ISC. This is one of those problems that give me a "queasy" feeling in the pit of my stomach, like we haven’t heard the last of this one. Mr. Berger wrote, "In a business model unlike any other in sports, one family – the family of NASCAR founder William H. G. France – controls NASCAR’s TV contracts, races and most of the racetracks. It makes all the rules and divides all the money. It’s as if one family owned the entire NFL and more than half the stadiums." With the last 5 new Winston Cup dates given to tracks owned (at least in part) by ISC, how can Jim Hunter (NASCAR Vice President of Communications) stand there with a straight face and tell everyone that there is no nepotism between NASCAR and ISC. PLEASE!! And they are "brushing off" the Texas lawsuit – which I feel is a BIG mistake. Mr. Hunter has made NASCAR’s position VERY clear stating, "We are vigorously defending that lawsuit…we don’t think it has any merit." I have two words for NASCAR – be afraid. Can you imagine what would happen if things start coming together for the alleged ISC/Donald Trump partnership for a track near New York City?? How can Bill France Jr., CEO of NASCAR possibly separate himself from Bill France Jr., CEO of International Speedway Corporation?? Why are the tracks and NASCAR splitting 75% of the media monies?? What kind of morons do they think we are??
I see the Texas lawsuit as being a BIG problem for ISC and NASCAR in the near future. Johnny Cochran will eat them alive – no nepotism, yeah right. The France Family’s denial is just another slap in the face. I always did like DW’s analogy, "It’s like leaving the fox in charge of the hen house." Exactly.
ALL THAT MONEY: NASCAR will receive almost $1.9 BILLION this year in revenues and only 18% goes back in purses and end of the year points awards. While every business deserves to make a profit, when you are building that empire and making that profit on the back of others, there is a responsibility there that NASCAR has yet to take care of. While I agree that the sanctioning body DOES NOT need to be involved in contract negotiations between the drivers and their teams, NASCAR should have a retirement program/pension plan for the drivers/team members. While NASCAR doesn’t consider the teams/drivers/crewmembers employees, they are making all their revenues off the backs of these men and women. I believe there is accountability there. Pension plans can be shared (drivers/owners/teams and NASCAR could contribute), something similar to what you and I might have. NASCAR wouldn’t be funding it ALL, but they should be helping some of the crewmembers who don’t make the millions the drivers do. NASCAR could certainly afford to maintain the fund and the plans can be specialized to permit only members of teams to be involved. It really is a very easy solution to a HUGE problem in NASCAR.
Just to get you up to speed on all the monies from the media deal, it is worth a reported $2.4 billion – with 10% going to NASCAR, 65% going to the tracks and ONLY 25% going to the men who put their lives and $$$ on the line to race every week. Again, Mr. Hunter has brought me to the point of nausea when he states, "tracks receive most of the broadcast revenues because they’re expensive to build and maintain, and because they carry a lot of debt." OK – that makes it right – HUH?? Yeah, let’s feel bad for ISC and SMS. Unfortunately the Bahres and the Mattioli’s will be caught in the middle.
Keep these next words in the back of your mind – in 2006, the new media deal will need to be negotiated. Do you think the young guns will have the same loyalty as the old guys do? OR will they want more of the pie? Scary showdown in the wind, huh? Where will the competitor’s loyalties lie after the slap in the face they’ve been receiving??
SAFETY DIVISION: I’m getting the bad impression that the "safety division" was implemented just to pacify irate fans and is not taken seriously enough. Have you heard anything from the division since its inception?? Me neither. While the France family is sitting on their BILLIONS down in Daytona, what is happening in Concord? Not much from what I see.
NASCAR needs to get with it. They need to STOP being reactionary and START being aggressive in their pursuit of safety. LIVES depend on it. Instead of waiting for something to happen (or someone to DIE), NASCAR should be at the forefront of safety innovations. While it’s great that teams are taking safety seriously, NASCAR should be LEADING the charge instead of reacting to disasters AFTER they happen. How many more have to die before NASCAR will assume their role as an innovator, instead of sitting back and letting everyone else do all the work??
NASCAR has always seemed VERY secretive about its inner-workings, some may even say shady. And being an accountant, I would LOVE to be up to my elbows in NASCAR financial statements. BUT, none of the "governing bodies" are made to divulge their inner-workings, so why should NASCAR be forced to a higher standard than Major League Baseball or the National Football League or the National Basketball Association?? My response is this: They ALL should be made to prove their financial status. All of these "professional sports" fit the definition of a monopoly. Believe it or not, they are still illegal in the United States. Publishing their financial statements would solve most of the problems and end most of the questions. BUT - do you think the France family wants people to know just how much money they are keeping for themselves??
This statement from Jim Hunter left a terrible taste in my mouth. "For years the France family struggled to make ends meet to build both sides of this equation into what it has become…our business model is the epitome of American business. The people who make it successful should get a big piece of the pie." Here’s my comment on that: Give me a FREAKIN’ break!!! Mr. Hunter wants me to feel compassion for Bill France and his brother Jim France?? The men who are worth over $1 BILLION each?? The powers that be at NASCAR need to start spreading the wealth, (ESPECIALLY to the much neglected Safety Division) and stop lining their pockets with new ideas for tracks. They need to take care of what they already have (shall I say it again?? OK – THE SAFETY DIVISION!!!) and stop pushing more 1.5 mile, D-shaped ovals down our throats.
I can’t quite figure out where the complete and unquestioned loyalty and love for Big Bill France turned into the contempt and untrustworthy feelings being thrown at the current NASCAR royals. Most talk of Big Bill with admiration and respect, while now there’s an air of disapproval and wariness with Bill Jr. and his kids. Whether they truly are or not, they are coming off as greedy, money-grubbing, hardnosed penny pinchers who would rather line their pockets than do what is right. Sounds like they need a PR makeover. Better yet, they should be happy with being BILLIONAIRES and start putting some of those new millions "back into the business."
To conclude, you gotta love Darrell Waltrip, who describes NASCAR this way, "Having a dictatorship is a great thing – when you are the dictator." Well said, DW.
Email A Friend
You can e-mail Ann here.
But, in the long run, we will survive........NASCAR may become just like Microsoft. But, I still can't find fault with the France family making as much money as the market will bare.........that's what this country is all about. It will shake out and probably something we can all live with.