How long before we lose Hud to NASCAR?

[Josh Bayko]

Sports car racing on the lower levels doesn't pay a dime, at least here in America.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

My best friend Jim was pretty tight with Dale Jr thru sim racing. He asked Dale to drive one of his late models (he had a solid street stock and kart record). Dale Jr said it would cost him 5k per race and would get a test session and a say at the shop to get fitted in the car. Dale Jr was nice enough to get Iracing to throw 5k in and Jim's parents threw in 5k.
The two races were ran in the same night at motor mile (twin 100's) he finished better than Dale Jr's hired gun in both races after constant nagging on the radio from LW Miller to not wreck the car and not to make a habit of using the apron to turn it.
He finished 8th in the first race and 6th in the second race in his first time out.
Dale Jr called him and congratulated him on some good runs and said "bring 100k to the table and we'll run a whole season."

I say that to say this, NASCAR's business model sucks and there are plenty of people you see racing on TV that shouldn't be at the level they are.
If DLM racing paved a way to NASCAR you would see the same business model, but for now it's a tax write off for rich guys who own septic companies, chassis companies, car dealerships etc.

That’s crazy.

I like Jr, but dam, he can’t find $100k to help sponsor a guy who showed great promise.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

I'd be curious to know what exactly OEM money is. Larson had much of his dirt success driving midgets that were powered by Toyota engines. Do ya' suppose Toyota paid for him to get a ride for a Chevrolet team? That's richly ironic, wouldn't ya' say.

Larson got noticed because he's the best all around dirt driver since the days of Hewitt and Stewart. The first time he ever raced a full bodied stock car he won, on asphalt, no less. As a rookie he won the K&N All Pro Championship.

Like I said, it's documented Ganassi approached the Larson family before Larson had even a whiff of a NASCAR. Lets just say it was the diversity deal that got Larson all that money to go drive for Ganassi and not his talent and guts. How is it that CBell and Chase Briscoe got where they are? Neither of their family's have "buy a ride" money and neither have a smidgen of minority lineage. Briscoe won the ARCA championship with authority in 2016 winning 6 races, 4 in a row. It's safe to say that is what got Briscoe noticed because even though his background is dirt open wheel racing he wasn't nearly as impressive as Larson & Bell in dirt open wheel cars.


Hud has one impressive outing in a wingless 410 at Brownstown, but his midget efforts have been less than stellar. Bottom line is if Hud is good enough and puts up the gaudy win numbers in the big races he'll get noticed, money or no money.

I knew you’d be in to set him straight on Kyle. While I’m sure he’s loyal to Chip for getting him where he is. I think a different ride would be better for him, you?

[TS FAN]

Larson in a top ride would be near unbeatable IMO. Bell is going to be just as good. Both those guys should have top rides IMO

[King1]

We had a meet and greet for our NAPA stores last year with Chase Elliott and someone asked him how he drives a Chevrolet being brought up as a Ford kid.
His response was "when Chevrolet writes your paycheck you'll drive whatever they tell you to.
I asked him later how much the manufacturers were invested in drivers, he said in most cases they are about 1/3 invested in the drivers salary.

[Matt49]

I feel like people are lost on the fact that the "top level" racing classes (as viewed by the American public) are basically spec classes with enormous marketing potential. The "drivers" that get opportunities in these classes are the ones that bring money and/or a pretty smile to the table. Tony Stewart was probably that last real racer that made it in NASCAR. We'll see what happens with Larson. Past that, it's actors and silver spoon babies that will dominate the NASCAR "driver" scene.

Having raced and chatted with Huddy quite a bit, I can tell you that he eats, sleeps, and breaths racing. He's a sponge for knowledge, a perfectionist, very respectful, yet fiercely competitive. He is more interested in being the best racer he can be than being famous. NASCAR isn't exactly the best fit for that.

[mcarter815]

I feel like people are lost on the fact that the "top level" racing classes (as viewed by the American public) are basically spec classes with enormous marketing potential. The "drivers" that get opportunities in these classes are the ones that bring money and/or a pretty smile to the table. Tony Stewart was probably that last real racer that made it in NASCAR. We'll see what happens with Larson. Past that, it's actors and silver spoon babies that will dominate the NASCAR "driver" scene.

Having raced and chatted with Huddy quite a bit, I can tell you that he eats, sleeps, and breaths racing. He's a sponge for knowledge, a perfectionist, very respectful, yet fiercely competitive. He is more interested in being the best racer he can be than being famous. NASCAR isn't exactly the best fit for that.

All levels of racing are turning into spec in an effort to "control costs."

[NormP]

Sports car racing on the lower levels doesn't pay a dime, at least here in America.

Neither does stock car racing. That's why everyone is talking about the jump to nascar.

[Josh Bayko]

Neither does stock car racing. That's why everyone is talking about the jump to nascar.

There aren’t that many short track superstars talking about the jump to NASCAR anymore though.

[TS FAN]

I feel like people are lost on the fact that the "top level" racing classes (as viewed by the American public) are basically spec classes with enormous marketing potential. The "drivers" that get opportunities in these classes are the ones that bring money and/or a pretty smile to the table. Tony Stewart was probably that last real racer that made it in NASCAR. We'll see what happens with Larson. Past that, it's actors and silver spoon babies that will dominate the NASCAR "driver" scene.

Having raced and chatted with Huddy quite a bit, I can tell you that he eats, sleeps, and breaths racing. He's a sponge for knowledge, a perfectionist, very respectful, yet fiercely competitive. He is more interested in being the best racer he can be than being famous. NASCAR isn't exactly the best fit for that.

not Chris Bell, don't put him in the spoon fed category