NASCAR: Where is the Next Generation of Owners?
Most of NASCAR’s competitive owners are going to be thinking about stepping back much sooner than later. So who is going to step in and lead the sport as this fresh new crop of driver talent is now taking center stage?
When NASCAR owners meet and look around the table one thing is very obvious, dinner is at 4:30 for most of the table. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying they are too old to get the job done, but where is the next group that will moving in as they are moving on? The current group of owners is only one generation from their current drivers age. With drivers like Chase Elliot, Ryan Blaney, Jeb Burton and Ross Kenseth coming fast how are the old school owners going to relate?
Jack Roush 73, Rick Hendrick 66, Joe Gibbs 75, Richard Petty 78, Barney Visser 67, Richard Childress 70, Rodger Penske 78 have been great for the sport, but have kept new smaller owners from being able to get a foothold. With the new franchising model NASCAR is discussing these men and Tony Stewart will comprise more than 80% of the starting field.
When all this group, minus Visser and Gibbs, became owners in the then Winston Cup Series they were all winning races in their 40’s. Where are the 40 somethings now that are threats to win each weekend? Do we look at some of the owners in the Xfinity Series or Craftsman Truck Series? Are they going to come from other series like INDY or IMSA? What is the next generation going to look like?
NASCAR ownership has gone through the venture capital phase that almost killed Richard Petty Motorsports and has left Roush Fenway Racing a shell of what it used to be. Then there is Rob Kauffman who oversaw the demise of the only truly competitive new multi car team in the last decade. Michael Waltrip Racing another casualty of investment bankers getting involved in NASCAR.
Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch seem very content to stay below the Sprint Cup level. Sighting each time when asked the skyrocketing costs of being involved at the highest level. With both having sold their Xfinity teams to their cup owners, going to cup seems out of the question.
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Dale Jr has fielded very successful multi car teams in the Xfinity series and would seem the most likely to move up. His sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller has done an outstanding job guiding that team to consistent success. Dale Jr has found two of the newest successful superstars in the sport, Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski. Dale on multiple occasions has said he does not want to move his team up to Sprint Cup also saying the costs are prohibitive.
Has the current multi-car teams made it too difficult for the single car teams to compete? The expense of the engineering in todays racing requires so much capital just to start. Will the franchising model make it so a new owner not only has to buy the equipment and hire the talent, but also buy a franchise to get a starting spot? There is only going to be 4 spots outside the 36 franchises, so space is limited. These are the questions that are going to shape NASCAR in the years to come.