GM Meets With NASCAR Teams, Cup Series Cutbacks Confirmed

Stewart Says Cutbacks Will Force Teams To Review Their Budgets

MOTORING ON: In Charlotte, David Scott notes GM did not specify the extent of its cuts, but the decision "means there’s a lot of refiguring being done in some race teams’ ledgers." A top Sprint Cup team’s budget reportedly is in the $20-25M range per year (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/18). Also in Charlotte, Jim Utter writes the cutbacks present an "opportunity -- one NASCAR should be embracing." This is NASCAR’s “chance to show again why its motorsports platform has been the most successful and utilize it to help GM and other companies that might come after it to battle their way back to profitability.” That “might require some changes on NASCAR’s part, such as finding a way to make the cars on the track more similar to those on the showroom floor” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/18).

FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Roush Fenway Racing co-Owner Jack Roush, when asked his thoughts on NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France saying that he is willing to consider more foreign manufacturers competing in NASCAR, said, “I spoke with NASCAR president Mike Helton today, and he cautioned that any automaker coming into the series would have to have plants here and build their cars here. Brian (France) is the CEO of NASCAR. He has the blessing of the stockholders. He’s got a certain amount of leeway to say what he wants” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 6/18).

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