France: a move to NASCAR franchising model won't help

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.

NASCAR chairman Brian France said he doesn't think franchising is a way to help teams that are struggling financially.

The current economic downturn and the woes of some teams and auto manufacturers have led to questions about the sport's health. One team shut down last week; pessimists in the garage forecast more problems before the season ends.

Only 45 cars attempted to make Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. That's eight fewer than attempted to make this race a year ago.

Chip Ganassi Racing laid off about 70 employees last week when it shut down Dario Franchitti's team. Ganassi cited a lack of sponsorship as the reason to stop running the team.

That's after BAM Racing, which made nearly half the races last year, left the circuit in the spring, although it hopes to return this month at Indianapolis. Jacques Villeneuve's outfit disappeared due to a lack of sponsorship after failing to make the Daytona 500 in a second car for Bill Davis Racing. Davis said Saturday the car will have sponsorship for next year but declined to reveal details.

A year ago, car owner Bobby Ginn nearly won the Daytona 500, then was out of the sport about six months later. Ginn released about 30 employees before the merger with Dale Earnhardt Inc.; about 90 more lost their jobs after the merger.

The idea of franchising, similar to other pro sports where teams share some revenues, would seem to help, but France said that overlooks other aspects.

"This idea of what value does a team owner who has paid their dues and been in NASCAR a long time really have... is kind of being answered by the investments by the various private equity firms that came in," France said, noting how Petty Enterprises, Roush Fenway Racing and Gillett Evernham Motorsports have been among the teams to add partners in the past year.

"If we thought franchising would add more owners than subtract or make the competition better... we would, of course, look at it, but it doesn't necessarily do any of the above. It's just something that, at this point, we don't think is in our best interest."

Ganassi admits he's "not standing around waiting for a handout from NASCAR."

The top 35 rule, in a way, provides a form of franchising because teams know if they're locked in the starting field based on car owner points. Even that doesn't guarantee success; the cars of Scott Riggs and J.J. Yeley fell out of the top 35 earlier this season and both failed to qualify for Saturday's race.

Ty Norris, vice president of business development for Michael Waltrip Racing, wondered if there were a way to protect current owners.

"A lot of owners have put their life savings in this," Norris said.

NASCAR admits mistake

Series officials admitted they erred in where they put Carl Edwards in the lineup late in Friday's Nationwide race.

Edwards got knocked off the track and went into the grass, missing a scoring loop embedded in the track to help determine the order. NASCAR put Edwards behind another car that he had passed before the incident.

Series officials announced in the drivers meeting that, in similar situations, they'll review video to determine a car's proper position.

Pit stops

The introduction of the Car of Tomorrow to the Nationwide series is at least a year away. The car could make an appearance late in the 2009 season but will more likely run in 2010.... Denny Hamlin's victory in Friday's Nationwide race gave Joe Gibbs Racing its 100th NASCAR victory.