When Sponsorship Dollars Are The Wrong Call For The Sport of NASCAR (Townley Has A Ride?)

Wait? Todd Bodine is out, and John Wes Townley might be in?

I just heard over my SiriusXM smartphone feed (yes, I finally shelled out the extra bucks, and I'm glad I did.) that Todd Bodine may very well be out of a ride at the Red Horse Racing truck team.  The word is that they're laying people off because they can't land a sponsor for Todd for the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

Before all the words hit my ears, I was already thinking that's a bummer for Todd and how this economy, no longer the fat economy that it's been, is really hitting home.

But then I heard the rest of the news piece and just shook my head in silence.

That NASCAR news being that though they're parking Bodine's truck, Timothy Peters will be driving one of the two trucks next year, alongside his new teammate, John Wes Townley, who brings his family-owned Zaxby's sponsorship with him.

And this is where the buck speaks louder than the talent.

To let go of Todd Bodine because someone else brings sponsor monies with them seems to be a crime and seems to dilute the sport of racing.  But it drives home the power of the dollar.

Admittedly, Townley did finish 16th in the standings from the 2012 Camping World Truck Series season with 21 starts, with two top-10 finishes.  In fact, since 2008, he's had a total of 28 starts in the truck series and these top-10's were his only.  (Is he maybe improving?)  In the Nationwide series, he's had 43 starts since 2008 with no top-10 finishes.

But fans have never seen anything exciting out of him in the Nationwide or Cup series.  In fact during the 2012 season, he had a shot at a nationwide race, but wrecked the car in practice and the team benched him before he even got going.

But he was given that chance because of the money that's backing him.

And here's where I have to wonder if Zaxby's is ever getting tired of dumping money on their own family member.  I also wonder if they ever considered dropping the same dollars on someone like Todd Bodine, who might pay off more dividends in the on-track advertising?  Or bankrolling John, and doubling up their investment with another truck?

I don't know.  I do know fans were in an uproar when he got the Nationwide ride last year.  I was secretly hoping he'd pull one out of the hat, just to get some heat off his backside, but that didn't happen.  It needed to be a bigger hat.

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Any How...

This piece was motivated because it's a shame a proven driver gets ousted because of sheer marketing dollars a driver brings.  Any driver.  And some teams though, are in pickles and have staff and other considerations that force their hand at times.  So I'm not blaming Red Horse Racing.  We might make the very same call if we were in their shoes, trying to pay their bills.

But it sure is a dang shame.  I know one thing.  If this (unsubstantiated) piece of news is true, and Townley is in for the 2013 season, there is going to be a contingent of fans whose sharp eye will be holding RHR accountable every time (if) Townley hits the wall.

Now, let's be the best NASCAR fans we can be, and attempt to be supportive of the team, the drivers and the processes and see what happens.  Who knows, maybe we'll get surprised.  Just maybe.

Just sayin'.