I went on a fishing trip after the July race in Daytona and this was what I heard

Hey guys we went fishing after the daytona race and look what we caught
A fishing trip has always been the norm after the July race and here is this years catch per say
The top team owners in NASCAR set their individual agendas aside for a unified brainstorming session on how to cut costs and help revive the auto racing industry.
Even Rick Hendrick had ten owners up at his place chewing over this minor detail.
''We're all stakeholders in this thing, and we all want to know 'What can we do to make this better? How can we save some money and help the show?' ''


The top team owners in NASCAR set their individual agendas aside for a unified brainstorming session on how to cut costs and help revive the auto racing industry.

The meeting was an offshoot of the ''town hall'' style sessions NASCAR has been holding with competitors since early last season to give drivers and teams an opportunity to discuss the issues facing America's No. 1 racing series. Now we know where the White house tennants got their idea from. Unable to shake the slide in both attendance and TV ratings, NASCAR and its participants have been working together to re-energize the sport.

''I really like the new attitude in NASCAR,'' Hendrick said. ''I really like the way we're all just kicking around something, talking it out and coming to agreements on how to move this sport forward.''Sounds like something out of the past I think.

NASCAR has historically been run by the founding France family as a dictatorship, and although participants could offer opinions, the ruling family made all the decisions. It was somewhat benevolent, though, and the late Bill France Jr. traditionally hosted an annual fishing trip following the July race in Daytona in which drivers and owners could raise questions and concerns away from the race track.

Brian France has continued the post-Daytona trip, and owners in attendance earlier this month decided to call a meeting for further discussion among a larger group of participants.
I think he wants more lines in the water in case something pops up.
NASCAR approved of the idea, and an agenda was set to discuss ideas ranging from restrictions on traveling crew members, tires used in a weekend, the current testing ban and shortening the length of the races. You know they better be careful in these areas they discussing here .

''NASCAR has become a very different business model,'' said Walt Czarnecki, president of Penske Racing, who attended the meeting with owner Roger Penske. ''And we all need to figure out a way, like all business today, to cut costs without impacting the integrity of the product. How do we become more efficient, better business managers?

''We have to face this from the business context, as all businesses have had to do over the last 18 months, and motorsports is no different.''

NASCAR has made several steps over the past few years to alleviate rising costs to team owners, from implementing a single-engine rule, eliminating testing at sanctioned tracks and starting a tire leasing program. Even the current model car was designed by NASCAR as a cost-cutting measure, But not every body wants the same cookie cutter that WallMart sells. There are like 4 or 5 different designs of cookie cutters on the market sold at different stores.
The sanctioning body is open to listening to more ideas from the owners, and was hopeful Tuesday night's meeting produced some unified thoughts.

''Cost containment is a key issue in our sport (and) we are always open to additional ideas,'' NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. ''Hopefully, the owners will find common ground on some ideas to present to NASCAR for consideration.''

Hendrick said the conversation Tuesday night remained cordial, and the hot-button topics didn't receive the same attention as issues that the group could unanimously agree upon.

''If we didn't really agree on something, there were things some people had reservations on, we moved on,'' he said. ''If it was something that was a no-brainer, we said OK, that's a fine idea, we all like that one.''

The next step will be presenting the results of the meeting to NASCAR and seeing if the sanctioning body is in agreement on any of the ideas. That it's even going that far pleased Earnhardt Ganassi Racing co-owner Felix Sabates, who praised NASCAR's ''open-minded approach to the needs of the fans, owners and drivers. But Felix if you dont have the fans in the stands and products being bought on monday after a race then you are back to square one.
That puts the weekly shows at local tracks drawing the people from the long drive and away from the tv. This could create a new sanctioning body for racing, I wonder if they were watching the growth in the south east of The Local Short Track Agenda thats booming.
A series has raised its head along the coast called Bell&Bell and another over around Sumter SC. And these two have a strong following. How about old fashioned Radio shows,there is a great one now on Zeus Network thats got shows all racing oriented programs & days a week. Brian you better be very careful of where you fish because there is a new boat called S.S RACERS REUNION in the water with a new Lure.
updated by @johnny-mallonee: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM

Excellent Johnny! Once upon I time I used to get sea sick. Navy cured that. Now I'm just sick of what I'm seeing my NASCAR become.


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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

I'm happy that these meetings & discussions are taking place..........and it would be great if these things could stimulate NASCAR to recognize & effectively address the problems which are affecting the sport today. However, the bottom line is that it all comes down to the fans...............when the fans are deprived of those things that built the sport (the competitive racing, the personalities, etc.) and after experiencing these deprivations, are charged high prices for a show that gives less pleasure than before, then the business will decline. There is no one all-encompassing answer, but one area I would draw attention to is some of the track designs being used today. I don't know what some of these engineers are thinking, but they are designing facilities which produce some of the most boring racing which has ever existed.... they may as well just create a perfect 2 mile circle & make it 200 yards wide. Many millions of dollars have been spent creating some of these venues, but it seems obvious that more thought should have gone into the plans as far as creating exciting racing. I fear that the new repaving of the Daytona track will have a negative effect on those races. At any rate, if the show on the track can't excite the fans & keep their attention..........at a REASONABLE price, then the direction of the sport will continue to go in the wrong direction. The CORE fans are not the ones who fly in in their private planes or show up in their Prevost motor homes & NASCAR needs to recognize this. Obviously, they need to find ways to reduce the costs to the race teams & the costs of staging an event..........and thereby passing those savings to the fans. Racing promoters, racers, team owners, & racing teams have become wealthy because of this sport, but it has been at the expense of the fans............and now the fans are looking for ways to find the same level of entertainment at a lower cost.

OK one thing let fans into all the big time nascar races for 2 dallars tow all racecars to the track on open trailers with pickup trucks do away with motorhomes use pup tints all drivers drive there on cars to racetracks plus crue members do away with TV go back to radio downsize everything if a person wants to go raceing bad enough they will go i no i would

leon you used the wrong frequency on the delorem car you went back to far come back a few years and then hit the button Leon Phillips said:

OK one thing let fans into all the big time nascar races for 2 dallars tow all racecars to the track on open trailers with pickup trucks do away with motorhomes use pup tints all drivers drive there on cars to racetracks plus crue members do away with TV go back to radio downsize everything if a person wants to go raceing bad enough they will go i no i would

I'm not saying we need to go back to the days when we drove down a dirt road to get to a local dirt track (although that does bring back some fond memories), but there is a line in the sand which becomes much more visable in a declining economic environment and fans become reluctant to cross when they have to make more careful choices as to what they spend their money on. Granted, diehard race fans will spend the money as long as the sport is exciting and keeps their attention..........but NASCAR seems to have over-engineered the sport & some of the new tracks to the point that the excitement level & attention-holding capability is down..........hence, fewer fans, less money spent.

Mr Sutton, I enjoy you writings very much. It seems as though you and I have traveled the same dusty road before. I was raised on southern dirt racing in the carolinas and Georgia. My father was a Marc winner many times.I like to write about the good times I had with my dad when he was racing and when I took over.in the early 60's.Things now adays just doesnt make sense in racing. I truly like what Jeff Gilder has got going with Racers Reunion, so much that Im building a car to run again and now with my home track coming back alive im in hog heaven.We are going to relive the good ole days again and we coming up to party with Bobby and his cronies too.So keep writing your neat commentary's and I am sure someone will have a reply to it. I for one enjoy my debates with Tim and others and you are welcome to join in sir.

Oh by the way You see where The Gateway doesnt want a race next year?? PattyKay Lilley said:

I read that "news" a couple of days back, but when I got to the part that said they "skipped over the hot-button issues", I just dialed out. Same old, same old. Don't make waves or Big Daddy NASCAR won't like it. Shame on the team owners! If they won't speak up, who is left?

Despite "Have at it boys", it became abundantly clear this past week that it's OK to create mayhem on the race track, no matter how much it costs the car owners for all the wrecked sheet metal following someone's temper tantrum, but speaking the truth will cost you dearly. It's not nice to fool with NASCAR.

The car owners talk a good game there, but refuse to touch anything that might be unpopular on Daytona Beach. Given that, I can't believe they are accomplishing anything more than expelling some hot air...but they did get an excuse to go fishing.

The foregoing statement about the boring tracks was spot on. The fans...remember us NASCAR?...have spoken long and loudly of their preference for short tracks. So NASCAR, in a total lack of understanding, compassion or wisdom, models half a dozen tracks after Charlotte. Hey, Charlotte is a good ol' girl, but she's not the best mare in the stable. North Wilkesboro, with the kookie uphill in the backstretch and downhill in the front stretch configuration, just might have been. Where is she now?

Iowa Speedway opened recently, with a configuration similar, but not identical to Richmond. Brave Rusty! The gradient banking on that little beauty promotes fantastic racing...but Iowa doesn't have a Cup date and I've heard nothing about one in the future. Kansas, however...probably the most boring of them all...is up for a second date next year. Who makes these decisions? Actually, from what I've read, that one was made by Lesa France Kennedy, who quietly works behind the scenes. Kansas City is opening a new gambling casino and NASCAR wants a part of it, so they've arranged a trade-off. Nice. (At lease now I realize why that city somewhere east of nowhere was in the voting for housing the Hall of Fame. Funny how it all comes out in the wash)

High on my wish list would be to see several of the cookie-cutters replaced with tracks similar to Richmond, Bristol, Dover and Martinsville. Then, bring back North Wilkesboro and Rockingham while flushing that waste of space in Fontana...and maybe the one in New Hampshire while you're at it. Ah...if only wishing made it so!

~PattyKay