NASCAR: Baker offers views on Nationwide Series

BY ALLEN GREGORY

BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Gary Baker recently accepted a major challenge. In fact, the Nashville businessman and former owner of Bristol Motor Speedway compares it to climbing a mountain every week.

Along with record executive Mike Curb, Baker owns one of the few remaining independent teams in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

As usual, the spotlight in today’s Sharpie Mini 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway will be on the large contingent of Sprint Cup regulars.

Like many fans, Baker sees a problem with that picture.

"We’re fighting tremendous hurdles," Baker said.

"I think [NASCAR] is starting to realize there is a serious problem here in our series, and I’m hoping something is done sooner than later.

"If [NASCAR] doesn’t act, it will have to start looking for something else for the race fans to watch on Saturdays."

Baker and Curb acquired Kentucky-based Brewco Motorsports this fall. The Baker Curb Racing team will field two cars for today’s Sharpie Mini 300.

Brad Coleman drives the No. 27 Kleenex Ford, while Brad Baker (son of Gary Baker) is in the No. 37 Baker Curb entry which lacks full sponsorship.

Because today’s qualifying session has been canceled by NASCAR, the starting field was set by 2007 owner points. Coleman will start from the 20th spot, while Baker starts 21st.

"Even back when Mike and I were first talking about this deal last fall, we recognized that the odds were stacked against us as a stand-alone team. We decided to do it anyway and we’re coming face-to-face with some of those odds right now," Baker said.

Coleman was able to beat the odds en route to a ninth-place finish in the Sam’s Town 300 on March 1st in Las Vegas. Not only was the 19-year-old Coleman the youngest driver in the field, he had to contend with 26 Sprint Cup regulars.

"We’ve put together a team that’s going to be capable of winning races in the near future, but we’re sucking wind on our No. 37 car if we don’t get a sponsor soon," Baker said. "That would be yet another stand-alone Nationwide car that will have to be parked, and it’s a shame.

"I don’t want to see any part of this team come apart. It’s just like Humpty-Dumpty. Once it comes apart, it’s hard to get it all put back together again."

As more Sprint Cup teams and drivers field Nationwide cars, the days of independent teams are fast becoming a memory.

Single-car operations, such as Abingdon-based Henderson Motorsports and Bristol’s Whitaker Racing, were once common in the formerly named Busch Series. Many of those also employed young drivers eager to build their resume.

Henderson Motorsports now concentrates on the Hooter’s ProCup touring series, while other teams have either closed or been gobbled up by larger organizations.

Entering the 2008 season, Sprint Cup drivers had won 65 of the past 70 Nationwide races. Meanwhile, Cup regulars Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick have won the past two Nationwide championships by margins of at least 618 points.

Baker said there is a good reason for the domination of the Sprint Cup gang.

"They have 20-to-30 times the amount of resources as stand-alone Nationwide teams. And I know that some of the Cup teams have twice as many engineers on their staff as we have total personnel," Baker said.

"The only way we can make up for that lack of money is by hiring guys with the most heart for racing.

"I’m ready to take on that challenge, but, again, the mountain is high."

Baker said he can appreciate why track promoters want popular drivers, such as Edwards and Harvick, in their Nationwide events. It’s the imbalance that has Baker crying foul.

"The whole system is messed up," Baker said. "Maybe things will be rectified when some of the track owners and management starting raising their hands and saying that something has to be done.

"My contention is that the drop in Sunday attendance at some tracks is a direct result of all this."

With gas prices rising and the national economy worsening, Baker feels NASCAR families will be forced to make some fundamental choices with their dollar.

"It’s a no-brainer," Baker said. "If I’m the average fan and I want to see my hero race, I can come here on a Saturday and watch him for one-third the price of a Cup ticket

"I believe this issue will impact Cup ticket sales more and more until something is done to restrict the number of Cup teams or drivers in the Nationwide Series."

Options such as revising the point system, limiting practice time for Sprint regulars and introducing a different car design have been discussed as ways of sparking 26-year-old a series billed as the second most popular form of motorsports in the United States. Meanwhile, four Cup regulars plan to run every Nationwide this season and many other Sprint regulars compete in selected Saturday events.

"Restricting the number of Cup drivers who compete in the Nationwide Series is a step in the right direction, but more has to be done," Baker said. "We have to compete against these Cup teams both in the marketplace for sponsors and on the racetrack.

"Too many times our drivers go out to qualify just after the Cup guys come off the track. The Cup drivers know exactly what the track conditions are and what changes need to be made to their car. Meanwhile, we have to guess."

Baker said the time for drastic action is now

"Maybe [NASCAR] can just say we’re going to run [Sprint] Cup races on Saturday and Sunday. You would have the same drivers and cars that way, just different length races. That’s where we’re headed, and it’s a bad development.

"As it stands, the Nationwide series has no identity. It’s just Sprint Cup-lite. If I’m Nationwide or a track owner, I’m raising a ruckus."

Brad Baker, 33, realizes he will have little margin for error today.

"For sure, competing against the Cup guys is a challenge," Baker said. "They’ve got a lot of advantages, like having twice the track time we get and being able to draw on the resources of their Cup team.

"But it’s good in a way because you get to compete against those guys and see where you stand."

The Nationwide cars will practice from 8:30 until 10 this morning under the revised schedule.