“Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.” That’s why NASCAR is all about. And it’s what makes sponsorship one of the most important aspects of NASCAR. While teams rely heavily on sponsorship revenue to fund their operations drivers get financial backing to secure a competitive seat. This dependency has created a system where financial resources can sometimes overshadow raw talent. However, in the last few years, drivers have been vocal about it.

The latest in the list is Joe Gibbs Racing’s newest member Chase Briscoe. Ahead of his transition to No.19 Toyota Briscoe revealed how lack of financial backing trouble young talents. Briscoe acknowledged the sacrifices and financial pressures that come with securing a competitive ride in the pinnacle of stock car racing.

Chase Briscoe opens up about the ‘pay drivers

Over the past two decades, numerous “pay drivers” have climbed the ranks of NASCAR. This trend is widely seen as a major issue, as drivers with financial backing often secure race seats over those with greater talent but limited resources.

In the recent episode of Dinner with Racers, Briscoe addressed the issue by calling it ‘unfortunate.’ Unlike traditional sports, where athletes rise based solely on merit, racing often requires significant financial backing. Talks about pay drivers and lack of support for young talents are not new in NASCAR. Since the early 2010s, there have been multiple occasions where fans and drivers alike have questioned the issue.

Speaking about such scenarios, Briscoe said, “There’s, I mean, it’s always more money-driven, but it, it has changed. I feel like once you get to the cup level, it is a little bit different. Like typically at the cup level at least, like for the most part, everybody kind of just goes and gets who they want and, they figure out the funding. But you still definitely have, you know, parts of the cup series where guys are, you know, paying to be there. They have a sponsor or something.”

One of the most prominent examples of this is Paul Menard. Menard didn’t have anything special while driving NASCAR. In fact, his average finish at most NASCAR tracks was lower than 15th position. With an average record, one might think he would receive the boot. Yet, with his family’s wealth, he continued in the sport. More recently, Daniel Suarez lost his seat in Stewart-Haas Racing because he couldn’t secure a sponsorship by the end of 2019.

Apart from this, there have been multiple cases when a driver has lost his or her seat due to sponsorship struggles. In recent years Kyle Busch’s departure from Joe Gibbs Racing has been a talking point. The sponsorship struggles led to one of the most shocking partnership breaks in NASCAR history.

The Kyle Busch saga

Trending

Duped Fans Eyeing a Class Action Lawsuit Amid Rising Rusty Wallace Driving Experience Complaints

NASCAR’s $267 Billion Partner Left Teary Eyed as Denny Hamlin Hunts for 2025 Motto

Kelley Earnhardt Motivates Son Wyatt to Upset Kyle Busch & Brexton’s Tulsa Dreams in 5 Words

Tulsa Shootout Controversy: Sprint Cars Star Distances Himself From DQ Drama With Bold Declaration

Fans Corner Broadcaster Mike Joy Amid Boiling NASCAR ‘Hate’ Debate

In 2022 Kyle Busch announced his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing. The Nevada native spent 15 years with JGR, amassing an impressive record of 56 Cup Series wins. He had also named more than 90 Xfinity victories, and three championships including two in the Cup Series (2015 and 2019).

The decision to break the partnership was taken after JGR failed to rope in a sponsor for Busch. Despite their efforts to rope in Oracle they failed to finalize a deal. However, Busch has accused JGR of not wholeheartedly trying to get a sponsor for him.

In an interview with The Athletics, he had said, “Did JGR try hard enough to sell me? My answer to that is no. So, I’m like, ‘There’s no way they’re [Oracle] going to do a NASCAR deal. Not a chance.’ So, I told those guys, ‘Look, you got to look elsewhere. You got to look outside… [Instead], they offered me a contract to race there, and they weren’t going to have sponsorship on the car, but I didn’t feel like that was fair for the 15 years that I was there; I didn’t want Joe putting his own money into the program.”

However, Joe Gibbs Racing never made any comments regarding the issue. But this issue reflects how brutal this sport can be for someone who lacks financial backing. As NASCAR continues to evolve, addressing these financial barriers will be crucial to ensuring that talent, not money, takes centre stage.