Posted on 05/17/2007 5:41:04 AM PDT by Salo
A few weeks ago, I reported in this column that Brian France and other NASCAR Party members spent a week in Communist China to “discuss possible projects with government, sports, and business officials in Beijing.” Well, it appears that Brian had some good discussions.
Barely three weeks after the Great Leader’s return to the States, it was quietly announced, in a two sentence paragraph on usatoday.com, that a Chinese owned company would sponsor a car in Nextel Cup competition. The company is Haier (pronounced Hi-er) America, a subsidiary of Haier Group, China’s number one company amongst “Top Ten Global Brands” of the country. The car they sponsored is the No. 13 Ginn Racing Chevy driven by Joe Nemechek, with the company making their debut at Darlington Raceway this past Saturday night.
As I asked in my column a couple of weeks ago, before the Ginn / Haier sponsorship was announced, where is the outrage amongst the fans about this move? More specifically, where is the outrage that is and / or has been directed at Japanese-owned Toyota when they announced they were getting in the Cup Series in the first place?
Granted, the Chinese involvement isn’t on the scale of Toyota, but a person would think that if there was such an uproar about NASCAR “selling out” to a foreign car manufacturer, one that is from a friendly country, no less, surely the sponsorship of a Cup car by a Communist-owned company would be unthinkable.
One would also think, seeing as how NASCAR is all fired up for diversity and world dominance, that a big announcement would be forthcoming from the King himself. Something along the lines about how his trip to China was a rousing success and that the NASCAR Party was all set in place to bring about the end to all wars and global warming; but that was not the case.
Unfortunately for Brian, he was upstaged by some kid who announced that he just can’t get along with his stepmother any longer and will soon be moving out. Turns out that kid has more worshippers than the King…no wonder he was docked 100 points!
One thing that I find especially ironic, sadly enough, is the fact that the guy that now drives a Communist sponsored car used to drive the car sponsored by the United States Army! Only in NASCAR can an owner get sponsorship monies from not only his own government, but a Communist one as well! Ain’t life grand!
NASCAR Ping.
Misleading headline by the author.
What is this about? Petty's? Earnharts? Who??
Overreaction, to say the least.
Dale Jr.
Look up Haier’s goods ratings on Consumer reports. Very low and mostly rated well below everyone else.
Just another way to import illegal Chinese aliens into the United States.
Selective outrage by the author?
I would like to know how many Americans here in the US get paychecks with Toyota printed on them?
If anything I'm mad at our government for not supporting US manufacturers while letting China import their cheap products by the tons, bankrupting many US companies or forcing them to take their manufacturing outside the US just to compete with cheap imports.
What is the fascination with NASCAR? I just don’t get it.
Its for people who remember what it was like to go fast.
Thanks. Looks like he’s had a busy week. Sure would like to see him drive for Richard Childress.
Go Tony Go!
Maybe they’re going to get NASCAR stock car racing approved as a national sport for the upcoming Olympics in China!
Mark
Remember, when referring to someone as, “The King,” in something NASCAR related...that title is reserved only for His Majesty, The King, Richard Petty.
As for NASCAR sponsorships and such, they’ve opened up a bit already in the last few years, including letting liquor groups jump in, so this shouldn’t be any real surprise. And if not for Dale Earnhardt Jr. (who was docked 100 points for an illegality concerning his racecar, something Michael Waltrip can relate to, not for unwittingly upstaging Brian France) making his announcement, this would have been the big story going into Darlington. The NASCAR analysts on Fox did talk about the Chinese thing, though.
Could not be any worse than a company owned by democrat swine!!!
Actually, just as the AFC was created to attack the NFL’s football monopoly it is now time for a new circuit to attack NASCAR, whose rules have made the outcome of races very predictable. Those huge tracks stand idle most of the year and would likely welcome a new entity. All you would need would be a few drivers, say Stewart and Earnhart, and a solid outfit like Joe Gibbs Racing to get the thing going.
“As for NASCAR sponsorships and such, they’ve opened up a bit already in the last few years, including letting liquor groups jump in, so this shouldn’t be any real surprise.”
10 years ago, a $5 million team could get into the show on a regular basis, and manage a few top-10 finishes. Now you need $10-$12 million or more to field a car that is 35th in owners points.
NASCAR has little choice than to open up the sponsorship to anyone and everyone (and then get them into a bidding war).
What is France doing negotiating a sponsor for Ginn Racing? I know NASCAR regulates sponsor conditions, but I thought teams sought out their own sponsors?
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