For decades, NASCAR used to be a sport run by independent families or just a bunch of friends teaming up to give it their all. The sport has had a rich history of families putting in their own money to participate week in and week out. NASCAR provided a platform for legendary family teams like the Thompsons, the Johnsons, the Parsons, and even Jeff Burton’s family.

This was the case until NASCAR started to become mainstream. With the entry of big teams with deep pockets, wealthy industrialists overtook the sport. This led to many legacy family teams being reduced to just a page in NASCAR’s history books. But it was inevitable, to say the least—the sport had to evolve that way to sustain itself.

However, small teams were still managing to make it into the sport. But NASCAR had to ruin it all by complicating the system to line their own pockets. At least that’s how Jeff Burton feels.

Jeff Burton’s concerns about the growing cost of operations

On the Crossroads podcast, the Burtons discussed a wide range of topics, from the origins of their racing family to Harrison Burton‘s surprise win at Daytona. However, one conversation stood out. Jeff Burton, NASCAR legend and commentator, did not mince words about the current situation in NASCAR. He went on to expose the exploitative system NASCAR has in place.

With rising costs and a relentless rat race for the latest technology, NASCAR is creating a barrier that not only makes it harder for teams to survive but also threatens the sport’s long-term sustainability. Burton, in the discussion, paints a picture of stark contrast between the sport’s older blue-collar rooted philosophy of “make it work” and today’s tech and data science-heavy approach, which benefits no one.

“The biggest difference is it’s too damn expensive,“ Burton said bluntly, emphasizing the problematic shift from pure racing spirit to just buying up the most expensive technology. “If you look at the rate of inflation versus what it costs to run a team, they don’t match up.” For context, he compared the cost of running a full year of the Xfinity Series back in his days: “We won $57,000. We brought in just under $100,000 as sponsors. We spent about $220,000 that first year to run the full series.” Today, that figure barely covers two races. “And why? Is the racing better?” he questioned.

The introduction of engineers, advanced data systems, and expensive components has driven costs through the roof, he feels. “It was three years before we had an engineer on staff. Three years. We won, we finished fifth in points, won three races,” Burton recalled, highlighting the unnecessary complexity of modern NASCAR operations.

Top Comment by Fcbbob15

Nascar has died as far as I’m concerned. Now only watch a few races and would never buy tickets and...more

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Burton argues that these additional expenses offer little to no value to fans or the racing itself. “You could take a Cup team today and you could run that cup team the same way Kyle Busch ran his truck team, and if everybody did that, the race would look exactly the same… NASCAR has become a nuclear arms race,” he said. This sentiment resonates with smaller teams, who find it increasingly impossible to compete with the titans of the sport. However, Burton suggested NASCAR is likely locked into contracts with vendors and data infrastructure corporations, keeping the system this way to ensure commissions.

Finding a solution seems impossible

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Burton believes the only solution lies in reducing costs across the board, but he admits it’s a nearly impossible task. “If teams have $100 million, they’ll spend $100 million. If they have $10 million, they’ll spend $10 million. The problem is the cost to do it… Once everybody has it, why does it matter that you have it?” he said. The pursuit of better technology is useless because eventually, everyone else catches up. He feels the sport itself needs to become cheaper, with reconfigured operations and logistics to slash costs. Cutting expenses would make sponsorships more accessible, allowing more drivers to break into the sport.

To achieve this, Burton suggests simplifying the sport like it used to be. “Before, we were like artists saying, ‘Yeah, that looks good, let’s do it like that.’ Now, everything is measured, scienced out,” he said. A return to the sport’s roots, focusing on skill over technology, could level the playing field and revive the grassroots spirit that once defined NASCAR.

However, Burton acknowledges that change will be hard to implement. “Tell me how to fix it ?—Because it’s freaking impossible,” he admitted. Yet, without reform, NASCAR risks losing fans and losing teams unable to shoulder the financial burden.

In conclusion, Jeff Burton’s words serve as a wake-up call. NASCAR must rethink its operational costs and re-evaluate its priorities. Without significant changes, the sport risks becoming unsustainable in the long run.