NASCAR's two biggest names -- Earnhardt and Petty -- might fall under the same banner in the near future in the latest sign of how NASCAR's middle-of-the-road teams are struggling to keep pace with multi-car and mega-supported teams in the Sprint Cup Series.While Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty never were true rivals on-track, the competition between each drivers' stats always persisted. Earnhardt never matched Petty's incredible 200-win total, but in 1992, he reached seven championships in NASCAR's top division to tie "The King".
Knowing that, it seems especially weird that at least one team representative acknowledge this weekend that Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Petty Enterprises have had discussions about joining forces.
"I think in this time, in this sport, anybody running from one team to three teams is talking to somebody, and anybody with four teams is trying to get to eight teams," said Loomis, vice president of race operations for Petty Enterprises.So there you have it.
Loomis likened it to what has been taking place throughout the financial world in recent weeks. Organizations such as Petty Enterprises and DEI, which are short on sponsorship dollar commitments for next season, are trying to align themselves with larger companies that are on more solid financial ground.
Tough times in NASCAR have made a merger of two teams that either have a history themselves or the history of its founding member that have dominated much of NASCAR's 60 years of competition.
Is that good? Is It bad?
Overall, I don't see mergers as a bad thing -- especially in the racing climate NASCAR has grown to. An Earnhardt-Petty Motorsports (or King Intimidator Racing?) is the only way either of those teams has an viable shot at race wins in the future, much less the unlikely championship.
Let's face it: NASCAR has nearly reached Formula One in how effectively large conglomerate teams dominate the sport. Granted the number in NASCAR fills a counting hand closer to capacity, but in all reality, Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing are the only teams that have a shot at winning each weekend at this point.
The combination of Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Petty Enterprises is an interesting twist if it goes through, but at the same time, it indicates how delicately smaller teams in NASCAR will have to tread in order to stay afloat in the future.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-20-2008 @ 4:12AM
annaseitter said...
SHOOT,THE EVIL TERRY INC. AND THE PONY TAIL BIKER INC. are on the way to merging and nobody has posted a word about yet?
O K, I'LL WASTE FEW MINUTES OF MY TIME ON .
DEI should be selling the entire racket to junior or junior and stewart togheter.
R. PRETTY ENTERPRISE should sell the entire racket to HMS
and loomis shall be the connecting the rings.
1 more choice for DEI if junior refuses , which i doubt it; sell the entire racket to JGR.
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10-22-2008 @ 12:18PM
Glen Davis said...
Petty racing has been doing so pitiful for the last few years i'm surprised they are still in it. On the other hand Earnhardt Inc shouldn't be hurting for any Money. If anybody would be hurting I fugure it would be Petty belive it or not. The petty team has for sure got some issues to be looked over from somebody outside the Team, this isn't 1970!
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10-21-2008 @ 9:09AM
Kim said...
I think it's so sad that the smaller teams and individual owners can't make it in NASCAR on their own anymore without huge corporate backing or larger team's financial support. The sport is becoming a monopoly and that's a shame. As much of a Hendrick Motor Sports fan as I am, it is getting to the point where the only three owners in all of NASCAR will be Hendrick, Roush, and Gibbs.
As for DEI and Petty Enterprises merging....It can't get any worse for these two teams in my opinion. Perhaps this would be a good move on both their parts. Perhaps with two powerhouse names such as Earnhardt Petty Racing, the sponsorship dollars will roll in faster. Should that happen, they could afford to hire actual talented drivers to drive for them (Martin Truex Jr. for DEI and Bobby Labonte for Petty excluded from the above statement because they are two good drivers, just have crappy equipment). More sponsorship monies would also bring better equipment to both teams, too.
I can't help but think part of the problem with both DEI and Petty is who they have running their teams for them. Perhaps they need a true outsider and not a family member to run their organizations. Their situation is a personal one because it affects them personally. An outsider could come in with nothing to lose and attempt to make some serious changes to two fledgeling teams.
Kim
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10-22-2008 @ 3:44PM
Don Emerson said...
Before you have the two of them wed, you should realize that it may be a planted rumor to drive up the stock of both companies, and make them more attractive to potential sponsors. It happens all the time on Wall street. I really can't see the Pettys giving up control to another racing company, nor Teresa either. They both need more money, but I don't see a merger. Wrks for me.....
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10-22-2008 @ 9:38PM
JIMMY said...
THE MERGER MAYBE A GOOD THING. A RACE CAR COST ABOUT 1.5 MILLION TO BUILD EACH DRIVER HAS AT LEAST 4 CARS YOU AD ON DRIVER AND CREW SALLARY YOUR TALKING ABOUT 10-15 MILLION A YEAR MAJOR SPONSERS ARE A MUST. IF THEY MERGE EACH TEAM WILL HAVE TO GIVE UP TWO DRIVERS NASCAR ALLOWS ONLY FOUR CARS PER TEAM ADD THE SPONSERS IN YOUR SAVING LOT OF MONEY IN WHICH THEY CAN USE TO BETER THERE PERFORMANCE.
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