Is this really the best time to start a Sprint Cup team?

By Mike Smith (contact)

Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009 | 8:03 p.m.

Forget about the stumbling economy. Forget about the automakers’ crumbling fortunes. Forget about the declining sponsorships. Forget that Sprint Cup teams are laying off personnel. Tommy Baldwin thinks this is a good time to become a Cup team owner.

While other teams, some which have been around for decades, are merging in desperate attempts to survive, Baldwin is going full steam ahead with his plan to field a new Cup team this season. Baldwin thinks the current climate will allow him to operate with lower overhead, which would require less sponsorship money to fund a racing operation. There certainly are a lot of crew members who are looking for work and are probably willing to work for less money if it means they can keep a job in the sport.

Dr. Phil might diagnose Baldwin as being in denial. And I certainly think the odds are against him. But I like rooting for an underdog and it would be great to see a small team have some competitive runs. Sometimes there are opportunities in adverse times that other people can’t see. And if he is successful at keeping costs low while producing some respectable performances on the track, will that inspire other teams to do more with less? Do the top teams need to spend gobs of money on palatial facilities and private fleets of jets?

Robby Gordon once mentioned in an interview that it cost him around one million a month to operate his Cup team. Maybe Baldwin can find a way in this climate to keep his costs low, too, but will it be enough money to make his team competitive?

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