Can money be allotted to help retired drivers? NASCAR is a billion-dollar industry filled with wealthy team owners, deep-pocketed sponsors and a number of millionaire drivers, all directed by the ultra-rich France family. The only folks who seem not to have done well from their involvement in NASCAR are retired drivers. Instead, a number of them need financial help in their everyday lives, especially with medical expenses. But there is no fund to provide such help. There should be. And the idea has some high-profile supporters. I think that would be a positive thing, said Dale Earnhardt Jr., the perennial choice of fans as NASCARs most popular driver. Im in favor of giving back to our sport, said Jimmie Johnson, six-time Sprint Cup champion. NASCAR drivers at all levels - Sprint Cup, Nationwide, World Camping Truck, K&N Pro Series - are independent contractors. They make the best deal they can with an owner and hope they eventually hit the big time. That has worked well for such veteran drivers as Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt and Carl Edwards. And it seems to have worked well for some of the younger, established drivers such as Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch. But there are drivers in all series who struggle to survive competitively, which means they also struggle to survive financially. Their short-term needs are difficult to meet. Theyd rather not think about the long term. I certainly think any retired athlete needs some sort of benefits package or a fund or something for guys who end up on the less fortunate side of things, said Greg Biffle, who is in the midst of a solid career on the Sprint Cup circuit. Im in favor of it. We see a lot of players in all sports that end up on hard times. As for funding it, Biffle said, Man, I am not a financial guy whatsoever. There is ample money available. NASCAR is completing a 10-year, $4.8 billon television contract. Next year, it begins a 10-year, $8.2 billion television contract. As little as 10% of the new deal would provide more money for a drivers fund than was in the initial concussion proposal between the NFL and its retired players. There are sponsor dollars generated by NASCAR. If teams contributed a small percentage of that money each year to a pool for retired or disabled drivers in need, fewer retired or disabled drivers would be in need. NASCARs leadership has done remarkable things to make a dangerous sport as safe as possible. But without drivers, there are no TV contracts, no fans in the stands and no one buying high-priced souvenirs. Theres a little bit of a responsibility on everybodys part, not just the sport as a whole, but the drivers that are currently having the success theyre having, myself included, Earnhardt said. Im sure it wouldnt be too tall a challenge to put something together. And if its run properly and managed properly, it could be a huge assist to all those guys who are struggling, especially when you get older and the medical bills start piling up on you. Yeah, I think it would be a great thing.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Sep 2014 12:33:15 +0000
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