NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR drivers driven by winning, not money

Published Jan. 1, 2010 2:08 p.m. ET

Larry McReynolds

When you look at the drivers who have contracts coming to an end in the not too distant future, like Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne, there is one common thread: They are all racers and all they want to do is win.

Sure, they all want to make money -- They want to make lots of money. The length of a Sprint Cup driver’s career isn’t as long as it was in the days of Petty, Waltrip, Pearson and those guys. So while money is not the only factor in their decision as to where they go, it can’t be ignored.

I may be wrong, but if any of these guys see that their teams are competitive and making the right moves to not only win races but to make and win the Chase for the Sprint Cup, I really don’t see them looking at different options. I mean, why in the heck would you leave a known, to go to something that is an unknown? Sure there are exceptions to that rule, but you sure don’t see it happen on a very regular basis.

You would have to say the decision Tony Stewart made to leave Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of 2008 was a clear exception to the rule. It was one of those “once in a lifetime” deals. That one really was a no-brainer.

Now I make an awesome living working for FOX Sports. If another network came in and offered me more money than FOX, well I wouldn’t even consider it. Why? Well because I think FOX has the best broadcast team out there that covers the NASCAR races. I know what my role is. I know who my teammates are. It’s to the point that I even know what a facial expression up in the booth means from Darrell Waltrip or Mike Joy.

So would I jump ship because someone offered me more money? No and honestly, I think that’s how these drivers are today. It’s not like they aren’t already making a good living. Where can I go to win races and be in position to win a championship? That’s the most overriding factor.

Unfortunately in Kevin Harvick’s case, Richard Childress Racing as a whole struggled most of the year. Then they played musical chairs with the crew chiefs and I think Kevin saw they weren’t getting better but instead were getting worse. Over at Richard Petty Motorsports, sure Kasey Kahne won two races, made the Chase and has an awesome crew chief, but he has to be wondering if the mergers are ever going to stop.

Stop and think for a second what Kahne has gone through over there. He was signed to drive by owner Ray Evernham. Then George Gillette came in as Ray’s partner. Then George bought out Ray’s part of the company. Then they merged with Petty Enterprises, who themselves had merged with Boston Ventures. Now the entire company is Richard Petty Motorsports. Kasey has seen a lot in a short period of time. You almost get to the point where you go "What are you doing people?"

Drivers will also use Hendrick Motorsports as their measuring stick. Do the teams that are courting these drivers work together with all their teams even close to what Hendrick does with their four teams? What’s the sponsorship situation? Is the sponsor locked in for a number of years or is their sponsorship up? All those things come into play if and when a driver decides to move on.