Automakers Pulling Out of NASCAR, F1, Le Mans -- Can Racing Survive?

[HRTV]

Full story here:
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...cing-Survive-/

Motorsports enthusiasts are watching auto industry bailout hearings closely, as their sport falls apart around them. Major automakers have scaled back or ended their participation in all three of the major racing circuits in recent days, and racing's biggest stars are starting to urge their fans to fight for a federal bailout of the auto industry.

[HRTV]

Global crisis ends Honda F1 era

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/moto...ne/7766092.stm

Honda to quit Formula One

Honda is pulling out of Formula One, blaming the world economic crisis for plans to sell its team.

The decision leaves Englishman Jenson Button and 2009 team-mate Rubens Barrichello without drives, with only a few mid-ranking seats still available.

[HRTV]

Audi to Pull Out of ALMS for 2009

http://www.nextautos.com/audi-pull-out-alms-2009

Audi announced today that its factory team will not participate in the American Le Mans Series in 2009. The Audi factory team, which has dominated the series since it joined in 2000, will take the opportunity to create a more formidable presence in the European arena, particularly the 24-Hours of Le Mans race, with its newly developed R15 sport prototype (rendering pictured above).

[HRTV]

Suzuki may be pulling out of AMA

November 21 may very well go down in US Superbike history as black Friday.

While there is no official comment as yet, it is known that American Suzuki has told Yoshimura Suzuki that they will not be participating in the Daytona tire test next month, and sources suggest that not racing at all in 2009 is definitely on the table for Suzuki.

Suzuki and Kawasaki wanted less stringent rules from DMG/AMA than what were seen in the most recent release (it is said that the homologation requirements are now the issue). However, this is just one factor in a possible pull-out by the Japanese.

Another has to be the economy, both here and in Japan. Japan has already declared itself to be in recession and while that technically has not yet happened in the US, bank failures, a strangled credit market and mass layoffs in nearly every sector make the present day in the US seem eerily more on the cusp of 1929 than 2009.

[sam]

US auto makers have pulled out of racing many times over ... just to come back 10, 15 or 20 years later. Racing has always survived.

Any "bail out" would probably require a 100% pull out of racing and racing advertising. Racing is a loss leader and not popular with accountants

[Skoontz]

On Pearl Harbor day, when the Japs pull out of anything over here it's good news....Now tomorrow, might be a different story....

I was pretty amazed at the NHRA Winter nationals this November. On the Snap On tools dragster, right next to the Snap On name, was a sign saying "Sponsorship available for 2009 Season" Rumor has it Exxon is taking over that sponsorship.

Since cars sales were so down, dealers have about 1/2 the mechanics on staff as before. The dealerships are snap On tools sales peoples cash cow, and, since their sales are about 1/2 of last season, they are pulling out of NHRA.

I think the big 3 are missing huge opportunity here...I've said for years they need the NASCAR mini van series....Think of all the ad space on a mini van, and they could piggy back with items soccer moms use, like stock out board racing engines and hydro planes........So, you could have the co sponsored Chevy/Mercury Hemp, Dawecraft mini van series...

Boat racing will return to fame!

[Fast Jack]

Nascar

Perhaps if the auto makers are forced to pull out we will actually see racing inovation return to the hands of the teams , and not the cookie cutter cars that Mike Helton has mandated to keep the big 3 happy. It would be nice to return to the days gone past where there is some possibility of a small team developing a car and having a chance against the $$$ of the factory teams.

[Skoontz]

Could not agree more, Jack

There was a time when NASCAR was real as evidenced here. The '64 Ford was driven by Fred Lorenzen, who graduated HS with my dad in Elmhurst, Illinois.

The Daytona was Bobby Allison. Next to that car was a '57 Chevy driven by Buck Baker, Buddy's dad....

NASCAR has become a bunch of phony cars turning left. They eliminated the 500 car production rule and it all went to hell from there.....