Off-Season Doldrums

It sure doesn't take long to begin feeling the effects of the off season doldrums. There aren't any races to look forward to next weekend. I guess the next event of interest is the banquet in New York. I missed it last year, I had to work. I hope to see it this year though, and watch the drivers and teams get the accolades they deserve. After that, it's pretty much like going cold turkey on watching the races until the middle of February, unless you're a Winston West fan. They usually televise at least three Winston West races during December and January. I imagine that some of us will even get so desperate as to watch the race re-runs on Speedvision. Been there, done that.

But, we have a light at the end of the tunnel! Publications! With me, it's the Winston Cup Scene. I used to get NASCAR Illustrated, that's a good magazine, great pictures and articles. But, you won't get the news and articles that you get in the Scene. I also get Stock Car Racing, TV race announcer Dick Berggren's pride and joy. SC Racing is a quality racing magazine, probably the best on the market, you won't go wrong for your money with Dick Berggren.

Then there's the TV shows. RPM Tonight keeps you informed nightly about open wheel racing, as well as NASCAR and drag racing. A lot of us are interested in the Busch and Truck series, and like to get news of up-coming racers in the lower divisions of NASCAR. This is the type of programming you'll find with RPM Tonight, and also on Inside NASCAR, a 60 minute weekly show. Then there's NASCAR Garage, a very interesting show about how the cars are built and prepared in the shop. Keep your eye peeled to your TV guide, there's a good chance that some of the drivers will be doing appearances during the off season. It's not uncommon to see them on a lot of the Nashville shows on TNN and TNT. I've already mentioned Speedvision above, if you get that channel, there's lots of racing to keep you occupied, as well as a good NASCAR show.

Steve Waid's Commentary in the Nov. 19th issue of the Winston Cup Scene, "The Laws of Competition and Economics," did a great job of explaining the problems facing the teams who are searching for sponsors. It's kind of hard to put a team together with a top name driver and crew chief to attract the sponsor's money, when they're all taken. The drivers that are left over, are the ones that don't have such a good track record of late, and haven't been present in the winners circle for ages. All of the consistant top quality drivers and crew chiefs are under contract, and what's left isn't anything to write home to mother about. In their defense, they are all experienced racers, but are, or have been, in a slump. The fact that the driver is in a slump, can also be blamed on economics, if they don't have the quality equipment, they can't compete at the level of those that do. If you don't have a Jeff Gordon to dangle in front of the prospective sponsor's nose, then what are you going to dangle? Regardless of what you come up with to dangle, you aren't going to get the amount of money that Jeff Gordon's team does. Which means that your team will have to make do with less, while trying to compete against the elite. It's a very interesting malady that's been around as long as the modern era has existed, and it isn't likely to go away.

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