4LT GS RoadsterGeneral Motors, facing the need to justify its expenses to a bankruptcy court and a skeptical public, has cut its investment in NASCAR.
Autoblog explains, "The scalpel of bankruptcy that is slicing off GM's sponsorship activities hasn't touched NASCAR's top tier Sprint Cup series, but the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series' have been trimmed." Teams led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick "have been told by GM that they will lose funding." Harvick has not yet commented, a spokeswoman for Earnhardt's team told reporters "we are fully capable of adjusting our business model to this change," and the team will "continue racing."
The AP reports, however, that "Cuts are also expected in the top-tier Sprint Cup series." Chevrolet spokesman Terry Rhadigan told the AP "GM has no plans to withdraw Chevrolet from the stock car sport" entirely.
NASCAR may respond by attempting to lure more automakers to support its races. NASCAR Chairman Brian France told USA Today, "That's not something we can turn the light switch on tomorrow morning and it'd happen. But of course we're the pre-eminent place in North America for car manufacturers to build their business with an auto racing group. I'm not going to name names, but we have companies that are interested in developing the North American market."
Speculation on which automaker might step in has already begun. Detroit Free Press columnist Mike Brudenell notes that, at Saturday's race at Michigan International Speedway, "A group of people in Honda shirts were spotted on the MIS grounds, so where there is smoke, there surely is fire."
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Autoblog explains, "The scalpel of bankruptcy that is slicing off GM's sponsorship activities hasn't touched NASCAR's top tier Sprint Cup series, but the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series' have been trimmed." Teams led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick "have been told by GM that they will lose funding." Harvick has not yet commented, a spokeswoman for Earnhardt's team told reporters "we are fully capable of adjusting our business model to this change," and the team will "continue racing."
The AP reports, however, that "Cuts are also expected in the top-tier Sprint Cup series." Chevrolet spokesman Terry Rhadigan told the AP "GM has no plans to withdraw Chevrolet from the stock car sport" entirely.
NASCAR may respond by attempting to lure more automakers to support its races. NASCAR Chairman Brian France told USA Today, "That's not something we can turn the light switch on tomorrow morning and it'd happen. But of course we're the pre-eminent place in North America for car manufacturers to build their business with an auto racing group. I'm not going to name names, but we have companies that are interested in developing the North American market."
Speculation on which automaker might step in has already begun. Detroit Free Press columnist Mike Brudenell notes that, at Saturday's race at Michigan International Speedway, "A group of people in Honda shirts were spotted on the MIS grounds, so where there is smoke, there surely is fire."
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