The Purpose of the Manufacturers

Revman

Revman

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America
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So with all of the talk of the spec motor coming to trucks, I ask this question, "Do the manufacturers even have a place in NASCAR anymore?" I was thinking about all of the rants about how the cars are no longer stock, etc.; and couple that with the spec Truck motor, I am wondering what the purpose is.....Toyota says that NASCAR involvement does impact sales, but if the manufacturers become marginalized, is it worth it anymore? What might this sport look like without manufacturer involvement? Questions and points to ponder.....
 
I think that people have to start looking at manufacturer involvment like any other sponsor instead of looking at them like a actual manufacturer of the car. Once they treat them like that they will see how important they are just like any other sponsor. To the common fan a spec motor will not matter but they still see the sponsor of the car and driver they can relate to driving that car which will ofcourse help marketing.
 
The manufacturers matter a lot. Competition between brands enriches the series, and the financial, technical, and marketing support they bring matters.

Robbie Gordon owns a traveling circus carnival show that uses generic unbranded pickup trucks. The trucks are all built by Gordon and owned by Gordon. "Drivers" are assigned a seat and show up with a helmet. No one watches and no one cares.

There are people here who say Nascar is heading in the direction of the Robbie Gordon model. But those people don't have the best interest of stock car racing (or any other racing) at heart. Opinions from those who don't care about racing are easy for me to ignore.
 
IMO the purpose of the manufacturer is to provide money and resources to the team (s) of its choosing and nothing more. If Nascar wants to survive with fields of more than 20 cars it will need to provide a manner for teams and/or manufacturers to get into the series quickly and being able to purchase engines and chassis would accomplish that.

Nascar needs to make it easy and cost effective to do business with and get the series to a place where another generous broadcast deal is signed. A generous broadcast deal trumps everything else as with the right deal you can make money even if very few consume your product.
 
LewTheShoe said:
Robbie Gordon owns a traveling circus carnival show that uses generic unbranded pickup trucks. The trucks are all built by Gordon and owned by Gordon. "Drivers" are assigned a seat and show up with a helmet. No one watches and no one cares.
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Uhh, the fans love those races wherever that series goes. You think it's supposed to be a top-tier form of motorsport or something?
 
I know I'm quickly becoming a dinosaur, the kind of fan NASCAR seems to wish would just die or go away, but for me, Motorsports has ALWAYS been a manufacturer first thing. GM is my Yankees or Cowboys. Teams and drivers come and go, but I stick with MY team. I will actually go out of my way to watch a race series if GM cars are competing. I'm far less likely to watch if GM cars are not competing. One exception has been Indycar racing, which was my first love as a five year old, and a GM powered car had no real shot to win until I was 20 years old. In another case, my dad retired from BFGoodrich. I fell in love withe Porsche 962 IMSA GTP cars they sponsored from 85-89, and watching those cars is what really made me a sports car racing fan. Today though, I almost NEVER root for a non GM car. When I really want to watch a race where GM does NOT compete, I usually pick the manufacturer I dislike the least. I like and keep an eye on many drivers and certain teams, but I am not an actual "fan" of them unless they are driving a GM product. It might sound dumb and simplistic, but is no more strange than attaching yourself to a certain athlete or team.
 
The series won't be regarded highly at all if there aren't manufacturers competing against each other in some sense. That goes for any major racing series. Gotta have at least two - in fact, I think the FIA refuse to recognize a series as a world championship if there aren't 2+ manufacturers involved.

I don't think it's an issue for Cup though. Even if NASCAR implements more standard/spec parts as has been reported it's almost impossible to see this being an Ilmor-powered series across the board or something of that nature. Something like that is way down the line.
 
LewTheShoe said:
The manufacturers matter a lot. Competition between brands enriches the series, and the financial, technical, and marketing support they bring matters.

Robbie Gordon owns a traveling circus carnival show that uses generic unbranded pickup trucks. The trucks are all built by Gordon and owned by Gordon. "Drivers" are assigned a seat and show up with a helmet. No one watches and no one cares.

There are people here who say Nascar is heading in the direction of the Robbie Gordon model. But those people don't have the best interest of stock car racing (or any other racing) at heart. Opinions from those who don't care about racing are easy for me to ignore.
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see dirt sprint car racing
 
"No one watches and no one cares."

Nascar is experiencing this problem at the present as less people are watching each year and less people care. Nascar has implemented a lot of gimmicks that not only have fallen flat but actually turned people off. Going with a spec engine is not a gimmick and could truly help some teams become more competitive and give them something to build on. As the ROI continues to drop for manufacturers they will spend less.
 
lots of cheap spec vehicles available
at the dealership lots
nascar needs to go back to its roots
at least try it in the lower series
 
Formerjackman said:
I know I'm quickly becoming a dinosaur, the kind of fan NASCAR seems to wish would just die or go away, but for me, Motorsports has ALWAYS been a manufacturer first thing. GM is my Yankees or Cowboys. Teams and drivers come and go, but I stick with MY team. I will actually go out of my way to watch a race series if GM cars are competing. I'm far less likely to watch if GM cars are not competing. One exception has been Indycar racing, which was my first love as a five year old, and a GM powered car had no real shot to win until I was 20 years old. In another case, my dad retired from BFGoodrich. I fell in love withe Porsche 962 IMSA GTP cars they sponsored from 85-89, and watching those cars is what really made me a sports car racing fan. Today though, I almost NEVER root for a non GM car. When I really want to watch a race where GM does NOT compete, I usually pick the manufacturer I dislike the least. I like and keep an eye on many drivers and certain teams, but I am not an actual "fan" of them unless they are driving a GM product. It might sound dumb and simplistic, but is no more strange than attaching yourself to a certain athlete or team.
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This reply was worth my post (of which I was hesitant). Right with you 100%....but, insert Toyota. Thank you.
 
Formerjackman said:
I know I'm quickly becoming a dinosaur, the kind of fan NASCAR seems to wish would just die or go away, but for me, Motorsports has ALWAYS been a manufacturer first thing. GM is my Yankees or Cowboys. Teams and drivers come and go, but I stick with MY team. I will actually go out of my way to watch a race series if GM cars are competing. I'm far less likely to watch if GM cars are not competing. One exception has been Indycar racing, which was my first love as a five year old, and a GM powered car had no real shot to win until I was 20 years old. In another case, my dad retired from BFGoodrich. I fell in love withe Porsche 962 IMSA GTP cars they sponsored from 85-89, and watching those cars is what really made me a sports car racing fan. Today though, I almost NEVER root for a non GM car. When I really want to watch a race where GM does NOT compete, I usually pick the manufacturer I dislike the least. I like and keep an eye on many drivers and certain teams, but I am not an actual "fan" of them unless they are driving a GM product. It might sound dumb and simplistic, but is no more strange than attaching yourself to a certain athlete or team.
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I love this post, couldn’t agree more. I am a Chevy/GM guy and the 2 cars I have had were a Buick and Pontiac. My next car will most likely be a Chevy. And it will always be GM because I grew up watching my dad cheer for Earnhardt in that Wangler/GM Goodwrench Chevy on Sundays and then I cheered for Gordon on Sundays. Manufacturers are just a cool aspect of the sport, I like seeing how teams maneuver what they have to try to compete with each other, it’s fun watching how far Toyota’s are in front of everyone else now and seeing how the Chevy teams are responding. Manufactures make racing what it is for me, I have no urge to see NASCAR become an IROC Series.
 
I feel that the spec motors and composite bodies, along with everything else NASCAR regulates will push the manufacturers away. I'd see no point in slapping my logo on a car with a generic racing engine and parts. They need to be giving manufacture's more power and control over the cars in my opinion.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
"No one watches and no one cares."

Nascar is experiencing this problem at the present as less people are watching each year and less people care. Nascar has implemented a lot of gimmicks that not only have fallen flat but actually turned people off. Going with a spec engine is not a gimmick and could truly help some teams become more competitive and give them something to build on. As the ROI continues to drop for manufacturers they will spend less.
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The answer is not spec engines. The answer is going BACK to production based engines. It works in sports car racing just fine.
 
Snappy D said:
I love this post, couldn’t agree more. I am a Chevy/GM guy and the 2 cars I have had were a Buick and Pontiac. My next car will most likely be a Chevy. And it will always be GM because I grew up watching my dad cheer for Earnhardt in that Wangler/GM Goodwrench Chevy on Sundays and then I cheered for Gordon on Sundays. Manufacturers are just a cool aspect of the sport, I like seeing how teams maneuver what they have to try to compete with each other, it’s fun watching how far Toyota’s are in front of everyone else now and seeing how the Chevy teams are responding. Manufactures make racing what it is for me, I have no urge to see NASCAR become an IROC Series.
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Yep I'm with you guys, I'd love to see Dodge get back in, but the way the sport is declining i dont see that happening. I still feel the cars should use the stock bodies, let the teams tweak the cars more, spoiler angle, height, suspension. . .ect. Nascar has lost its identity, the cars are that identity, without it who cares.
 
StandOnIt said:
ELMS
Gibson Selected as 2017 LMP2 Spec Engine Provider :confused:
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In Europe, the P2 class is a cost controlled spec class, as opposed to the manufacturer specific almost anything goes P1 class, which is dying due to Formula 1 level costs to win there . In the US, IMSA offers the choice of running a European spec P2 car, OR a manufacturer specific DPi car with manufacturer styled bodywork and a production based engine from that manufacturer. The GT car classes world wide use production based engines.
 
I think the Cup series still provides a viable marketing platform for all manufacturers to drives sales...If they were to leave, it would absolutely destroy the France family's/NASCAR business model.
 
3wideinturn1 said:
I think the Cup series still provides a viable marketing platform for all manufacturers to drives sales...If they were to leave, it would absolutely destroy the France family's/NASCAR business model.
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I agree........ and Lord forbid that Brian and Lesa would be left penniless after their dad and Grandpa built the business ......... usually the third generation of owners ...as an average are the ones that drive a business into bankruptcy........ Nascar won't declare bankruptcy........ they will just fade away........ we see that already...... Brian and Lesa and Jim will be just fine......... they just won't be quite as rich as they could be had they had the racing sense their father and grandfather had..........
 
NASCAR will need the manufacturer help when they transition to electric in five years. :idunno:
 
Formerjackman said:
In Europe, the P2 class is a cost controlled spec class, as opposed to the manufacturer specific almost anything goes P1 class, which is dying due to Formula 1 level costs to win there . In the US, IMSA offers the choice of running a European spec P2 car, OR a manufacturer specific DPi car with manufacturer styled bodywork and a production based engine from that manufacturer. The GT car classes world wide use production based engines.
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FYI, I recall this was the last year IMSA would sanction a P2 class. It's gone for 2018.
 
3wideinturn1 said:
I think the Cup series still provides a viable marketing platform for all manufacturers to drives sales...If they were to leave, it would absolutely destroy the France family's/NASCAR business model.
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Toyota agrees, and talks about it frequently.
 
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