NASCAR Needs To Bring “Pony Cars” to Sprint Cup ASAP
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Some critics are questioning why, in this era of economic struggles, is NASCAR mandating that Nationwide Series teams start moving towards running a new style of the Car of Tomorrow/Today.
Actually, I think NASCAR is spot on in its timing. Even with the extra costs development of the new Nationwide version of the COT, NASCAR is trying to ensure that the series remains viable for the next several years.
Ford has already announced that it will start producing a new Mustang for the Nationwide Series. Word has it Chevrolet has a Camaro in development, and Dodge is also not far from introducing a Challenger to the NNS family.
I say, get those cars to the Nationwide Series as soon as they can, and then look towards bringing them to the Sprint Cup Series ASAP.
Even in this generation of “green” environmental concern, let’s face it, sexy sells. Especially in the new car showroom, which has been nothing short of a ghost town over the last year as the economy got worse month after month.
If Ford, Chevy and Dodge want to sell more cars, get the Mustang, Camaro and Challenger to the marquee Sprint Cup Series as soon as they can.
Translation: they’re going to get the U.S. automaking business jumpstarted, in addition to the financial bailout money that companies like Chevy and Dodge took to retool and become more efficient.
While most consumers of the revitalized legendary pony cars will likely be in the 20-to-35 range, true fans of sports cars – including those 50 and over – are also going to want to snap up such a hot ride. As a result, we’ll see dealers selling cars at full price, if not charge an extra surcharge to give those willing to pay extra money a better chance of getting such a in-demand car much quicker.
Regardless of what NASCAR chairman Brian France said last month at Michigan International Speedway, in effect saying NASCAR wants the Big 3 to remain involved in the sport, but was able to go forward without them, the truth is the Big 3 really do need NASCAR and NASCAR needs them.
I want to see a hot, sexy sports car on the race track, not a type of car that appears geared more towards grandfathers than swinging bachelors.
If I was Brian France, while I’m grateful they’ll get a good “test” in the Nationwide Series, I would offer as many incentives as possible to convince the Big 3 to bring the Mustang, Camaro and Challenger to Sprint Cup competition by 2011, if not sooner.
I’d be happy if the cars, in either series, remotely resembled the ones I can buy in the show room. I don’t understand how the “Big Three” have allowed NASCAR to remove any brand identity and make the cars so generic. In the old days, “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday”, was the saying. Now if you win on Sunday, unless you can see the front bumper, rear bumper, or hear the winning driver interview, (The number 010, whatever the sponsor, whatever the sponsor, whatever the sponsor, Chevrolet, ran really good today.), you don’t know what to buy. There is no manufacture identity in the sport any longer.
Without sacrificing safty, please NASCAR, make the cars on the track look like the cars in the show room. If not for the fans, do it for the auto-manufacturers.
-Taglia
Taglia makes a good point. The COT looks more like a formula car than a stock car. Matthew Mark
