Wheels & Deals: Dodge Praises Kurt Busch For Postrace Mention

Dodge Exec Overwhelmed By  Kurt Busch's Comments

COULD NASCAR COME CALLING FOR DANICA? ESPN.com's John Oreovicz noted IRL driver Danica Patrick's contract with Andretti-Green Racing expires after this season, and with her "career management now being handled by IMG, it would be no surprise if NASCAR came calling." Patrick's status as IndyCar's "most marketable asset could" force IRL to "have to ante up to keep Patrick in open-wheelers." Patrick has "blossomed into a major mainstream star" through her GoDaddy.com Super Bowl ads and SI swimsuit issue appearances. While recent IRL drivers making the transition to NASCAR have "generally fared poorly, the prospect of luring Patrick and her massive fan base might be too much for NASCAR or one of its well-heeled teams to resist" (ESPN.com, 3/16).

CORPORATE SALES BEING OVERLOOKED: USA Today's Nate Ryan during a discussion about the economy's impact on NASCAR said the "impact that the economy is having on tracks' corporate sales this year" is being "overlooked." Ryan: "There's been stories written about how DuPont has scaled back on its hospitality and the like. That's more of an issue for NASCAR than fan turnout being a little bit down. If corporate sponsors start to pull back and the lifeblood of the sport starts disappearing, that's going to endanger the sport more than if less fans come." ESPN's Angelique Chengelis noted that if one or more of the Big Three automakers were to "go under" and have to leave NASCAR, "it would be devastating." Chengelis: "If we see GM withdraw from this sport because of the economy, what's left?" The Boston Globe's Michael Vega: "Who fills the void? Would it be Toyota?" ("NASCAR Now," ESPN2, 3/16).

BREAKING THE BANK: CBSSPORTS.com's Pete Pistone wrote several "smaller and underfunded" NASCAR teams are "starting to feel the economic pinch after getting through the first month of the season." Yates Racing has told driver Travis Kvapil that "unless sponsorship materializes it will shut down" the No. 28 Sprint Cup team. Ganassi Earnhardt Racing indicated that their No. 08 Cup entry driven by Aric Almirola also "might have to sit idle" after the March 29 Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville if more funding is not found. Meanwhile, driver Todd Bodine, who is second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings, "won't even go to Martinsville unless the Germain Racing team gets a sponsor for the No. 30 truck." But Pistone noted there was "some good news on the sponsorship front for A.J. Allmendinger, who says Richard Petty Motorsports has found backing for the No. 44 [Sprint Cup] Dodge through the Coca-Cola 600." The Furniture Row team also "adjusted its limited schedule for driver Regan Smith but now plans on increasing from 12 to 13 races" in '09 (CBSSPORTS.com, 3/16).

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