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ESPN: Robby Gordon faces 8-race season
Uh-oh. From ESPN.com
AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Robby Gordon, who has run a full Sprint Cup schedule as a driver/owner since 2006, says he has enough sponsorship for only eight races in 2010.
"I'm looking at a lot of weekends off,'' a frustrated Gordon told ESPN.com on Friday at Phoenix International Raceway.
Gordon said he has two four-race commitments from sponsors for next season. One of his major sponsors, Jim Beam, announced earlier in the year that it would not return to the sport.
"Nobody is spending money,'' Gordon said. "Everybody is cutting the fat out of everything. To be in racing you have to be a pretty big company.''
Gordon said many of the larger teams are making deals for well less than the market value because they can afford to, but that runs teams like his out of business.
"It's sponsorship suicide,'' said Gordon, who is 34th in points.
Gordon said NASCAR needs to create a unified marketing plan so every team is on a level playing field. He said there are so many different plans now that sponsors are confused.
He expects to see more start-and-park teams next season than ever, adding he doesn't plan to be one.
"I don't know what we're going to do,'' Gordon said. "We're going to continue to work hard to sell races through March of next year. After that I'm looking at a lot of weekends off.''
David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at dnewtonespn@aol.com.
AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Robby Gordon, who has run a full Sprint Cup schedule as a driver/owner since 2006, says he has enough sponsorship for only eight races in 2010.
"I'm looking at a lot of weekends off,'' a frustrated Gordon told ESPN.com on Friday at Phoenix International Raceway.
Gordon said he has two four-race commitments from sponsors for next season. One of his major sponsors, Jim Beam, announced earlier in the year that it would not return to the sport.
"Nobody is spending money,'' Gordon said. "Everybody is cutting the fat out of everything. To be in racing you have to be a pretty big company.''
Gordon said many of the larger teams are making deals for well less than the market value because they can afford to, but that runs teams like his out of business.
"It's sponsorship suicide,'' said Gordon, who is 34th in points.
Gordon said NASCAR needs to create a unified marketing plan so every team is on a level playing field. He said there are so many different plans now that sponsors are confused.
He expects to see more start-and-park teams next season than ever, adding he doesn't plan to be one.
"I don't know what we're going to do,'' Gordon said. "We're going to continue to work hard to sell races through March of next year. After that I'm looking at a lot of weekends off.''
David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at dnewtonespn@aol.com.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rob Harris on
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Bottom line is that guys that run up front don't have a problem with sponsorship...so quit blaming NASCAR. He does not have sponsors because of performance.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Jamieson on
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Agreed, Jim Beam gave Robby more than enough time to get his program sorted out. The performance didn't improve to where it needed to be so they left. I am sure that JB let Robby know that they were giving him 1 more year to right the ship. While NASCAR hasn't helped the small teams any, it is a little bit strange to blame NASCAR for Robby's situation.
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Permalink Reply by JoCo on
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Especially since he dropped the idea that a lot of teams will be start-and-park and he stressed that he will NOT be...he's definitely doing some promo.
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Permalink Reply by Beagle7 on
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Bad enough Jim Beam is leaving and killing my screen name here...
If he leaves all together, my Robby 7 personalized NJ license plate will really look silly!
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Permalink Reply by 7gason7 on
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Could be worse Robby could be sponsored by Vaseline Lotion for men. Then we would have to make fun of your screen name.
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I am sure Robby would take Extenze sponsorship at this point :o
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If Extenze worked he may have to start using the number 8, 9 or even 10!
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Permalink Reply by 7 Gordon 7 on
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I was watching a football game lastnight and saw this run across the bottom of the screen. I was hoping I misread it. Damn that sucks. What else is he gonna do with his free time?? Lots of Dirt racing I guess??
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Permalink Reply by Michael Martinez on
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2 races left...."let's get some TV time about sponsorship issues" (even though last week they said Robby was looking to expnand)
As far as the race issues go ...it's like going to jail...worry about it when you get there or it will feel like you already are.
NASCAR is in a downward spiral and hiding teams behind that friggen independent contractor label protects NASCAR from ever sharing revenue. For the time being forget that idea unless we get franchising in place that is.
I'm a race fan and and Robby fan, not a NASCAR fan so whatever and where ever suits me fine. What I mean is i've been waiting for the growth not the death of RGM, if we have to till up the garden a bit to get it revitalized i'm in for whatevet happens. The guy across the srteet threw out a mattres and if the rumors are true our problems are over, but rumors are rumors and it might be stuffed with shit just like all other mattresses. What i'm sayin is this. Tug your panties out a bit we have a whole winter to watch this develope.
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Permalink Reply by GasOnRobby on
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I have followed NASCAR my whole life. Started at a few local short tracks. I hope they lose half their teams because the COT and all the rules suck.
I mentioned multiple times that they need competition. I don't know if the economy will support competition.
The investment in a team has to be proportional to the purse. The purse is driven by TV and ticket sales. A new series with smaller purses would require less investment by the market. The lower investment would result in less sponsor dollars, lower ticket sale prices, and smaller TV deals. Let the well know little teams with well known drivers go to the new series. Let the big teams and NASCAR fester in the mess that they have made.
Require no more then two cars per team. Do not allow teams to sell engines and chassis directly or indirectly to other teams. Bring back the independent chassis and engine makers. Remember Banjo Matthews? Limit the amount of rules so teams and engineers can be innovative. Require TV and Radio to have through the field coverage multiple times per race. Bring in recent technology like fuel injection, all-wheel-drive, and traction control.
Make it fun again.
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What's wrong with AWD and Traction Control? What recent technologies should be introduced? Anti-lock breaks? Need something to bring in the manufactures and separate from other series.
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