Money and superstar status alone don’t ensure profitability and success for a team on the racetrack. This is something Tony Stewart experienced with his NASCAR team, Stewart Haas Racing. The team that once was touted as the powerhouse team became a shadow of its former self, especially in the Next Gen era.
NASCAR racing isn’t exactly going through the best phase with teams fighting tooth and nail to secure sponsorship. As far as the charter system is concerned, it has yet to prove its reliability in helping the owners run their race teams with proper backing and financial aid. This was one of the major reasons why Tony Stewart left NASCAR, as he wasn’t sold on the new charter agreement. He even aimed digs at NASCAR, stating that “The charter agreements are a joke,” but it seems like he ran into similar troubles with his NHRA Top Fuel team.
Aligning the similarities between the two racing series, Stewart, speaking at Race Industry Week, opined, “Not everybody is a Conrad Kalitta and has an air service. You know the Torrence family has Capco. They do great business in Texas. But for me, I’m a professional race car driver that retired from NASCAR, right? I don’t have that income coming in. So anything I’m spending out of my pocket is literally coming out of retirement that I have to live with the rest of my life.”
Interestingly, Smoke brought up the suggestion for NHRA to expand just like NASCAR did with its new TV deal. “Obviously we got a great TV partner with FOX right now, but just like NASCAR went through negotiations for TV contracts, it’s coming up next year. I think mid-season is when NHRA starts their negotiations. So the TV packages are really crucial for motorsports.”
This is a developing story.