Childress' sponsor gain leaves Davis team on hunt

[tstran17_88]

Childress' sponsor gain leaves Davis team on hunt
Caterpillar to leave BDR No. 22 for RCR No. 31 in 2009

SONOMA, Calif. -- For a decade now, the black and gold colors of the sponsor's logo have been nearly synonymous with the race team itself. Bill Davis Racing has been defined by that No. 22 car bearing a Caterpillar logo, a vehicle that won two of the biggest races the sport had to offer. Whether it was Victory Lane at Darlington, crossing the finish line in the Daytona 500, or just the transporter trundling down the highway, one glance at those hues and that insignia said it all.

But in NASCAR, where economic Darwinism is its most unforgiving, not even decades-old relationships are immune to the unrelenting pressure to find greener pastures. Which is why the team that since 1999 has been defined by Caterpillar is losing Caterpillar, to a Richard Childress Racing program that's won five times the past two seasons and is on the brink of once again placing all three of its cars in the Chase.

http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/cup/06/20/bdavis.rchildress.caterpillar.jburton/index.html

[BenRoethig]

I feel bad for BDR, but they did get themselves in the position that they're currently in. They had a lot of factory support from Dodge, but decided to use that Dodge support to help Toyota get into NASCAR.

[RaceFanStan]

If I was a sponsor I would want the most bang I could get for my buck ...
why stay with a team that struggles to stay in top 35 when a top 5 team is available ...

Do the math, for 2008 the 2 drivers just aren't on the same page :
Jeff Burton #31 RCR - 2nd in driver's points, 1 win, 4 top 5s & 10 top 10s in 15 races
(Jeff Burton is only 32 points out of 1st place in driver's points)

Dave Blaney #22 BDR - 29th in driver's points, 0 wins, 0 top 5s & 2 top 10s in 14 races
(Dave Blaney is 1017 points out of 1st place in driver's points) http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/rolleyes.gif
(can you say no chance of making the Chase ?!?!?) http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/images/smilies/bomb.gif
(NOTE : Blaney missed a race this year because his team was OUT of the top 35 in owner's points)

[harvick#1]

well the 31 needed a sponsor since ATT gets kicked out this year to almost bankrupt Sprint.

just great, now there will be 3 yellow RCR cars :p :

[oldhippie]

well the 31 needed a sponsor since ATT gets kicked out this year to almost bankrupt Sprint.

just great, now there will be 3 yellow RCR cars :p :
i wonder what sponsor the 12 altel car will do cause he will need another sponsor too

maybe richard childress should buy a big quanity of yellow paint at a time :)
ive always liked the cat colors and jeff burton will be a good spokesman for them

note that brother ward drove the 22 cat car for several seasons

[MD24]

well the 31 needed a sponsor since ATT gets kicked out this year to almost bankrupt Sprint.

just great, now there will be 3 yellow RCR cars :p :

Did you have the inside scoop on Cat joining RCR?

[harvick#1]

no, we know nothing at CAT. I actually didn't know the deal took place until I looked at one of the racing sites.

[racing59]

Did you have the inside scoop on Cat joining RCR?

It's been very well published in the motorsport press.

It's a case of sponsoring to promote your brand with a front running team with a, or sponsoring just to get your name on a cup car.

CAT are bigger than a bottom half team.

I feel sorry for BDR, they're up against it now, and will probably struggle to find someone to replace Caterpillar. I can see them running multiple sponsors on that car - if they run at all.

It's a hard harsh financial dog-eat-dog world out there with the way things are going. About the only people who have money to burn on motorsport are the oil companies at the moment, and they seem to want to keep it in their pockets to keep their shareholders smiling.

[tstran17_88]

Childress is still a pirate IMO! :laugh:

[harvick#1]

and Hendrick is a cheater, Hass is a Tax evader, Gibbs is a coach, and Evernham likes his female co-workers :p :

what else is there :laugh:

[tstran17_88]

You forgot Roush and Yates? ;)

[harvick#1]

Roush is a snake and a crybaby :p :