What does it cost to run a team in NASCAR?

July 8, 3:39 PMSports Business ExaminerJosh Lobdell

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The saying is if one wants to make a little money in NASCAR racing they should start with a lot of money. In the ultra secretive world of NASCAR it is often extremely difficult to nail down what it cost to actually field a team in the premier Sprint Cup series. Of course once people get to suing each other a lot of things become public knowledge.

Thanks to the lawsuit between NASCAR and Jeremy Mayfield a lot more of the cost of fielding a team, and the obligations onwers and drivers have to NASCAR has been brought into the public light.

For a driver to get a NASCAR license to compete in the Sprint Cup series costs 2,420 dollars. If that driver wants to run in the nationwide series or the Truck series it costs an additional 110 dollars. For a team owner to register a tam it costs 2,970 dollars.

Car owners must apply for each team they own meaning Roush Fenway racing had to pay the application fee five teams each season. This comes to a grand total of 14,850 dollars.

Then the driver and the team owner must sign a contract with NASCAR. These contracts points out that the driver must abide by the NASCAR rule book, and lays out the points fund distribution for the car owner.

Part of this contract, on the ownership side, then spells out the exclusive partners of NASCAR and that the team owner may not sign a competitor of these companies as a sponsor. Currently Sprint, Goodyear, and Sunoco have brand exclusivity deals with NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series.

This agreement also requires teams to unscramble their team radio operation during racing activities. So that NASCAR’s TV partners can tap into these communications during race broadcasts.

This agreement also says that NASCAR and the tracks may use images of the drivers and cars in promotion activities.

There are also many other clauses in which the driver must agree including:

• One media tour and photo shoot to promote the Sprint Cup series
• The winner and second and third place finisher must do interviews following the race
• The race winner agrees that four item may be placed on the roof of his car in victory lane; one each from Sprint, NASCAR, team’s primary sponsor, and the race sponsor
• The top 12 drivers in points must provide 15 minutes of media availability on Thursday and Friday of race weekends
• All drivers who qualify for the chase must do media after the Richmond race, and are required to go on a media trip to New York City before the New Hampshire race

So here we have a little look into the secretive world of NASCAR contracts, all thanks to a lawsuit. For the sports business enthusiast and columnist lawsuits truly are a valuable tool.

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