ESPN: Robby Gordon faces 8-race season

Uh-oh. From ESPN.com

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Robby Gordon, who has run a full Sprint Cup schedule as a driver/owner since 2006, says he has enough sponsorship for only eight races in 2010.

"I'm looking at a lot of weekends off,'' a frustrated Gordon told ESPN.com on Friday at Phoenix International Raceway.

Gordon said he has two four-race commitments from sponsors for next season. One of his major sponsors, Jim Beam, announced earlier in the year that it would not return to the sport.

"Nobody is spending money,'' Gordon said. "Everybody is cutting the fat out of everything. To be in racing you have to be a pretty big company.''

Gordon said many of the larger teams are making deals for well less than the market value because they can afford to, but that runs teams like his out of business.

"It's sponsorship suicide,'' said Gordon, who is 34th in points.

Gordon said NASCAR needs to create a unified marketing plan so every team is on a level playing field. He said there are so many different plans now that sponsors are confused.

He expects to see more start-and-park teams next season than ever, adding he doesn't plan to be one.

"I don't know what we're going to do,'' Gordon said. "We're going to continue to work hard to sell races through March of next year. After that I'm looking at a lot of weekends off.''

David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at dnewtonespn@aol.com.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by JoCo on November 17, 2009 at 10:53pm

Which is funny because they currently have 450% the sponsorship Robby does for 2010...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Matt on November 18, 2009 at 12:36am

They do? Is there a the dollar amount BAM is getting from this "deal?" They dont even have a crew chief or a driver announced.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by JoCo on November 18, 2009 at 9:14pm

Umm yeah. They've said they are 100% going to run all 36 races, which is 4.5x the amount that Robby has said he could. And that's from Robby; don't know why he'd lie about that.

And don't be silly, obviously they are getting money from their deal--I don't understand the purpose of asking how much. Yeah I highly doubt it's Roush-Fenway #99 car money, but if it's enough to run the full season then that's all that matters.

Quit being such a contrarian.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chris Jamieson on November 18, 2009 at 3:22am

I wouldn't call a field filler successful. If there were more than 34-35 decent teams in NASCAR BAM racing wouldn't even make a race.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by R. ALDRIDGE on November 18, 2009 at 1:51am

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by JoCo on November 17, 2009 at 5:45pm

I've mentioned this on a previous thread, it's a great idea. I think News Corp (with subsidiary 20th Century Fox) would be a better partner though since Fox televises a majority of the races, they could guarantee TV time and Robby could provide a suitable billboard.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Beth on November 17, 2009 at 7:49pm

That was my fear too, but surely Doug was aware of this before he signed on. This stuff didn't just happen overnight.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Gotaas on November 17, 2009 at 8:55pm

As fare as sponsorship I say look at the military, Robby has already done work with operation home front. A couple of years a ago in the nationwide series there was a Coast Guard car, as a fellow coast guardsman I loved seeing that and the government has funds to spend. Just a thought, CALL THE COAST GUARD....

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by JoCo on November 17, 2009 at 10:54pm

Correction: The government has funds it is obligated to spend. The military is obliged to do certain amount of marketing, which only bodes better for people in Robby's position.