NASCAR: What’s wrong with NASCAR? Part 3 – Money and sponsorship

Money over talent

The final issue I want to discuss is the result of issue number two. In a market where teams need money more than ever, drivers with money are more valuable than drivers with talent. If a driver can pay for a ride or bring sponsorship, they receive opportunities that are not necessarily earned.

For instance, drivers such as Ryan Preece have to settle for part-time Xfinity Series gigs, while others find full-time Cup Series rides. Most of these “rich kids” have shown few top results since running in the national touring series, while Preece has shown time and time again that he deserves a ride.

The harsh reality is that some drivers bring sponsorship and Preece doesn’t. As a result, the situation in which talented drivers fall behind the wallets of others arises. The pool of talent is larger than ever, but sponsorship is draining the water.

The biggest example of this comes in the Truck Series with driver Brett Moffitt and Hattori Racing. Moffitt has won three races in 2018 and currently sits third in points, but his future is uncertain.

Just last week, Moffitt had to be saved by a sponsor in order to run at Chicagoland Speedway. Meanwhile, mid-pack teams are funded with family money and driver payments. This, folks, is an issue.

Any time people can buy their way into the sport, the sport has become toxic. Everyone knows the sport takes money, but deliberate payments are crossing the line.

Imagine if an NFL team let someone pay to play quarterback. Imagine if instead of having someone who has genuinely worked to land a high-profile spot on a team, some kid has his dad pay for him to stand in the spotlight.

That image is enough to tick anyone off, and the current climate isn’t helping the situation in NASCAR.