http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Ginn_Racing...
If you’re looking to lease engines from Hendrick Motorsports for a NASCAR operation, you’d better be prepared to open up your wallet.
A legal battle being played out in North Carolina courts is offering rare insight into the usually secretive world of the sport’s finances as the Hendrick operation seeks compensation from the Ginn Racing team that wound up as part of Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2007.
According to a contract filed as part of the case, the Hendrick engine lease agreement with Ginn Racing called for Ginn to pay a base rent of $12.8 million in 2007 and $13.7 million in 2008 to lease engines for its three Sprint Cup teams and one team in what is now the Nationwide Series.
The fee covered Cup engines for 36 race events and up to nine tests or special events and Nationwide engines for 35 events, according to the contract filed as part of a lawsuit by HMS Holdings against Ginn Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. over the termination fees resulting from the Ginn-DEI merger in July 2007.
The contract was dated Nov. 29, 2006, and signed Dec. 19, 2006.
The lawsuit is still pending in North Carolina Superior Court in Charlotte. HMS is asking for a $1.5 million fee as part of the termination agreement.
Among the contract provisions:
• No engine could be used in competition or testing without an HMS-designated engine tuner, billed at a cost of $800 per day plus travel (including room and board). Ginn also had to pay for the annual NASCAR license and credential for each engine tuner.
• Ginn had to provide access to its allocation of Chevrolet engine parts received as part of its Chevrolet contract.
• Ginn would have to pay for any special labor requests and parts at the standard HMS rate and would have to pay for all spark plugs and oil purchased if HMS did not get those for free through its other contracts.
• Each engine would be returned to HMS after each race, and only HMS employees would be allowed to tear down the engine.
• Forty percent of the annual leasing fee was due Jan. 15, with another 30 percent due May 15, and the final 30 percent due Aug. 15. Ginn would receive a discount of $640,000 if it paid its full 2007 fee by Jan. 15, 2007, and a discount of $685,000 if it paid its full 2008 fee by Jan. 15, 2008.
• HMS did not guarantee the quality of the engines.
• If HMS opted to change manufacturers for the 2008 season by June 30, 2007, Ginn could elect to continue the agreement for HMS to provide Chevrolet engines at a 20 percent reduced rate, or Ginn could cancel the contract with no refunds of any payments that had been made.
• If Ginn opted to change manufacturers for 2008 by June 30, 2007, it could cancel the contract for $1.5 million