Mahler9th

Hard to say how all of the money works, but I assume it is not all or much from personal funds. That does not seem to be how the deal works for teams that have long tenure like Brumos.

A few years ago, some of my buddies fielded a GT team on their own dime--- pulled together within a short time frame. At the beginning of their second pro season, the got third at Daytona (first year for DP Class). They got some prize money, and some contingency money, and spent a fortune. If success/glory was their goal, they picked the right year! Then they were almost immediately out of pro racing.

As for the piece on JC France, I think that its unfortunate to show the fighting. They use that a lot in their TV teasers, and I was not surprised to see it this year. This is "lowest common denominator stuff," and someone obviously figures it increases revenues. Perhaps we will see more of it. I remember when they started to do more of this stuff in CART, and even in IRL (for example with Danica).

For many of us, interest is multi-faceted. But for the larger group buying the stuff and paying the bills, the drivers and the "action" are what is apparently important.

MJSpeed

+1

hacker-pschorr

Porsche is already using the win in their own ads.

Flying Finn

For that Brumos probably gets some compensation but they're not paying any of Brumos' bills...

vladie22

there is a fairly large ad for "kendall gt-1" oil on the length of their rear wing so they get some sponsorship $$$s from that. Kendall is owned by conoco/phillips which is in tight with NASCAR (unocal 76 gasoline) so maybe there is a connection there...

chrisp

Yes, there are teams in Grand-Am that are what's reffered to as "value-add". They are for companies that NASCAR sells a big circle track sponsorship to and they throw in the Grand-Am sponsorship as a bonus. I'd have to run through the list of teams to jog my memory but there were 4-5 last time I researched this (I used to sell motorsports sponsorship). It's also a way for NASCAR to offer a sponsorship product to companies that are either locked out of circle track because of a bigger player or big bucks. The conversation goes something like, "Oh you don't have $5M for a NASCAR car? We can get you into Grand-Am for $500k."

I think Ganassi is doing something very similar with his Grand-Am program. Target gives major bucks to underwrite NASCAR and he throws in a Grand-Am team as "value-add".

analogmike

I don't know about Grand-Am, but I just learned what IMSA stands for in Autoweek:

International Marijuana Smugglers Association

Mark in Baltimore

The reign of John Paul, Sr. is over. Autoweek did a fantastic series on his rise and fall many years ago.

A.Wayne

They are sponsored by Porsche .....................

LOL..... Yep IMSA in the 80's for sure ...................

race911

Or worse..........

Back in '80 or '81 I'm watching an engine change on a GTO Mustang (or Vette) these 2 Columbians used to run. The crew was decked out in matching shirts: "Hell's Angles, Titusville". Uh, OK.

Know one of our very own Rennlisters has an IROC RSR that Pablo Escobar bought for one of the kids in his family to race with for a few years?

VaSteve

What is the difference between prize and "contingency" money? I assumed that money was contingent on winning, so what's the real meaning?

Also, how does one define the difference between "privateer" and anything else? We're any of those cars actually owned/raced by the factory employees? I saw Penske and Ganassi singled out. Where is the line drawn?

ehall

There are deep pockets associated with Brumos Motors. They have some minor sponsorship dollars, but the bulk comes from right here in town.

MJSpeed

Penske on the other hand...

ehall

You're both right. Right after Penske, Brumos gets top engines, but little else. Penske is THE factory team, as far as that can be said in G/A.

gums

Brumos has been doing it for as long as we've been around watching.