A few weeks ago, I blogged about the challenges of being a fan of David Gilliland. When I started following David, I knew that it would be a struggle. It would have been so easy to follow the "names" of the sport, the Jimmie Johnsons, Jeff Gordons, Dale Earnhardt, Jrs, etc. Yet, I chose to follow the underdog, and I don't regret it for a bit.
Last year, fans of Yates Racing and David Gilliland were deeply focused on the sponsor search. As time marched closer to Daytona testing, we felt surely there would be a sponsor announcement. Yet the two cars from Yates arrived with "SponsorYates.com" on their hoods. Fans kept hearing that there were possibilities, and as we watched testing in Vegas and Fontana, there were still no announcements.
By Daytona Speedweeks, David had a 5 race sponsorship with FreeCreditReport.com. That sponsorship extended through the season to Indy, and was followed by small sponsorhips from 5 other companies. Travis Kvapil, David's team mate, had 16 sponsors in a 36 race season.
Now, as discussed heavily in this informative article from Scene Daily, we see that NASCAR is reeling from the economy, in much the same way the rest of our country and our world is reeling. Rumors abound that Yates Racing will not be expanding from two to three cars, and since Paul Menard brings his family money with him, that David or Travis may be left out in the cold. Most say that David will be the first to go, but I truly believe that it could be either one, and it will depend on who gets the sponsor.
So, once again, David's fans are feeling lost and insecure. We have not lost faith in our driver, but we may have lost faith in the stability of NASCAR's current system. Franchises, anyone?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
The Rough Times Continue
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6 comments:
You ask the question: Franchises anyone?
The answer can be found in any of the sports that operate under the franchise system.
How well has the franchise Chicago Cubs done over the last 60 years?
Or the franchise Detroit Lions?
Obviously it's not the business model that makes them winners or losers it's excellence in management and applying that excellence on the track or playing field.
Yates, and the Woods Bros. (and Petty for that matter) have fallen be the wayside because of a refusal to add teams when it was obvious it was the best way to win.
To completely change the way the sport is run because a few failed to see the future correctly is franklt... BS.
Yeah, it's tough being a David Gilliland fan, that's for sure...But he is the bright spot in the line up each week. The Underdog with ability to shock everyone on any given Sunday. I sure hope he has a ride next season!
It would be a shame for David to lose his ride. He helped keep Yates afloat through two very stessful years.He wanted to be part of the success of Yates making a comeback, and he knew it wasn't going to be easy.
Somehow, I suspect the David will land on his feet, and that he will come out smelling like a rose.
I have personally know David Gilliland since his days at Perris Auto Speedway. to say he is a bad boy is just Ludicrous. sooner or later you have to face the bully and knock his socks off. well Juan pollo (Spanish for chicken) took to many shots. many other drivers have experience and now accept Davids recourse. did he plan to wreck him? come on, who would take them selves out of an important race??. the drivers in the garages know payback was just and due. I be leave he gained a lot more respect from fellow drivers for finely having the guts to say enough is enough Indy racing drop out. remember pay back is a $%%^*
Yates racing is fighting for there survival as many other teams are also. a little press doesn't hurt. heck as often has Tony Stewart cried and whined and you know that home depot loved it. it brought attention to there driver. hey here is an idea, lets try putting David in tonys old ride-bench the "not so wonder boy" and see how fast David shows nascar he can run and beat the best of them---naaa David is to loyal and caring to jump ship-the one thing he does have over the rest is integrity
extreamly madmax
I have personally know David Gilliland since his days at Perris Auto Speedway. to say he is a bad boy is just Ludicrous. sooner or later you have to face the bully and knock his socks off. well Juan pollo (Spanish for chicken) took to many shots. many other drivers have experience and now accept Davids recourse. did he plan to wreck him? come on, who would take them selves out of an important race??. the drivers in the garages know payback was just and due. I be leave he gained a lot more respect from fellow drivers for finely having the guts to say enough is enough Indy racing drop out. remember pay back is a $%%^*
Yates racing is fighting for there survival as many other teams are also. a little press doesn't hurt. heck as often has Tony Stewart cried and whined and you know that home depot loved it. it brought attention to there driver. hey here is an idea, lets try putting David in tonys old ride-bench the "not so wonder boy" and see how fast David shows nascar he can run and beat the best of them---naaa David is to loyal and caring to jump ship-the one thing he does have over the rest is integrity
extreamly madmax
marc;
Yates racing knows they missed the boat by not expanding, so instead of crying inthere corn flakes they decited to give it all they had. doug Yates is running the company with a lot of his own personal money. they started last season with ony one part time sponcer. if you consider what they have acomplished. a team thats underfunded, little or no tech support, and a hand full of false promisses from Roush racing. I would say they had a stellar year. its like trying to win the daytona 500 with a station wagon. you just dont have enough to make it happen but there is allways that chance luck could be on your side. how lucky is it to have a tire fall on you hood in the middle of a race-more like dumb luck and they have had a lot of that this year. no fault of team or driver just rotten luck. here is to 2009 and the year Yates returns to the lime light
madmax
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