Earnhardt Jr. defines economic season

BY DWIGHT DRUM OF RACETAKE.COM
Special to MyFoxOrlando.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35, Orlando) -- The ARCA/REMAX Series launched the 2009 stock car season with a 200 lap race at Daytona International Speedway crash-filled race that left young Texan James Buescher the winner followed by Joey Logano and Justin Lofton. Later that night multi-car crashes plagued the 75 lap Budweiser Shootout with Kevin Harvick winning (surviving) followed by Jamie McMurray and Tony Stewart.

The ARCA race was rough on more than equipment as Patrick Sheltra, Larry Hollenbeck and Bobby Gerhart were hospitalized. All were alert and conscious. Gerhart was evaluated and released.

Crashes may have shrunk the pack on the track but the field of cars showing up for first race of the year was plentiful. 

The NASCAR Sprint Cup garage made room for 56 cars trying for 43 Daytona 500 positions. The ARCA/REMAX Series had 43 cars on its side of the fence despite the gloom so often attached to the current economic conditions.

Somehow racers at all levels find ways to get on racetracks, but with sponsor pockets lightened by tough times teams small and large are cutting costs in every way.

What it means is the typical NASCAR driver may soon resemble a Saturday night dirt hero more than a super star zooming from racetrack to racetrack in a private jet with only two or three passengers aboard. Jeff Gordon is flying to races on commercial airlines. He looks at the upside of his transportation methods by declaring he is making new friends. His teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr sees some sunshine on the horizon too.

“The way the economy is, it’s going to be really tough for some guys to compete,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “If there is a time in this sport when it can get back to a lot of single car teams in here with minimal funding competing weekly -- this will be the time. I pull for the underdog hard. I don’t think I’ll ever pull against one during these times.”

Empty seats should continue to be common throughout the 2009 season. In the past sold out crowds meant that those in the crowd had discretionary income to spend. Now with so many jobs lost across the USA, many have reduced or faded income. Food that costs money is necessary. Fun that costs money is not.

Earnhardt looks for positives

“One thing the economy has done is that it has made a lot of stuff cheaper to obtain.” Earnhardt said. “It’s really brought a lot of the prices down and the expense for parts and pieces. You can find deals here and there. Companies are just trying to stay afloat. People are just trying to stay afloat just like the race teams are.”

Earnhardt also views typical gloom in a different way. “The economy has made every one tough.”

So with the roar of engines the 2009 NASCAR season is off and running. The future may be as bumpy as some of the asphalt on its racetracks, but if we are to look at the real world like Earnhardt does, the tough will endure.