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Gripes arise from money splits

By KEVIN KELLY

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 13, 2001

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR president Mike Helton unveiled the sport's plan to distribute revenue from its six-year, $2.47-billion television rights agreement during the circuit's Media Tour this week.

The percentages will remain the same, with 65 percent going to tracks, 25 percent to race teams and the remaining 10 percent to the points fund.

What will be different is how the teams' share will be divided.

One-third will go into race purses, one-third will go into the points fund and another one-third will go into a new system that rewards owners for performance and points accumulated in the past three years.

"If I had a vote, we would've voted a lot more for the owners," said Joe Gibbs, who owns Bobby Labonte's and Tony Stewart's teams.

No owner will be credited for more than two cars under the new rules leaving Rick Hendrick and Jack Roush, who own three- and four-car teams, with no advantage.

Hendrick, who has not seen anything in writing from NASCAR regarding the plan, thinks race teams should get at least 33 percent, not 25, of the revenue because of the rising costs of operating a team.

"We're all stake-holders in this business -- sponsors, owners, track owners and NASCAR," he said. "None of us can get hurt and the other guys prosper long. It's like the economy, it's going to get them."

SAFETY CONCERNS: While NASCAR has no new rules regarding safety equipment after the fatal crashes of three drivers last season, manufacturers are conducting safety seminars during testing this month at Daytona International Speedway.

Ford teams met on Tuesday.

Jeff Burton said Ford has offered to buy all drivers the HANS device, which is designed to keep a driver's head and neck in place during a high-impact crash. Also, a prototype seat designed to minimize body movement is expected to be ready in 45 days.

"There are things out there now that we can make what we have a whole lot better," Burton said. "The seat will make it better yet. But by wearing the HANS system, by doing the seats a certain way, doing the belts a certain way, we can increase the survivability in some certain crashes by a great deal."

FREE SPEECH: Jimmy Spencer was not afraid to criticize Dale Earnhardt for being the only Winston Cup driver not at a NASCAR charity event last weekend in Winston-Salem.

Earnhardt was testing a Corvette that he and his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., will drive in the 24 Hours of Daytona on Feb. 3-4.

"That (expletive) has got more money than anybody in this room, all 50 of us put together," Spencer said. "But how did that (expletive) get it all? He got it through Winston and NASCAR. He's got to remember who got him where he is."

Earnhardt, who also missed the event last year, apologized.

"I'm sorry that I didn't make it," he said.

IRONHEAD: Earnhardt, who will turn 50 this season, had surgery Jan. 5 in Daytona Beach to remove a small piece of metal lodged above his left eye.

"Just a little cosmetic surgery was all it was," he said.

The seven-time Winston Cup champion, once called "Ironhead" by Bobby Allison, cut himself while working at his father's shop in 1977. He was unaware there was a metal sliver in his brow until it vibrated during an MRI test four years ago.

"It started becoming a knot on my head, more than the knots that were already there," Earnhardt said.

STILL BROWSING: Chip Ganassi, the successful CART team owner who bought 80 percent of Felix Sabates' Winston Cup team last year, continues to search for someone to drive the No. 01 Dodge this season.

Sterling Marlin will drive the No. 40 Dodge.

Jason Lefler, who was to begin a three-year contract to drive a Busch Grand National entry for Joe Gibbs Racing this season, is signed to drive the No. 01 car for Ganassi in 2002.

"I don't feel the burning need to announce someone in the next two or three hours or something like that," Ganassi said Friday morning. "We have (36) days until Daytona."

ODDS AND ENDS: Wally Dallenbach, who drives the No. 75 Ford, said he may move to the Indy Racing League and the Panther Racing Team if his Winston Cup team doesn't find a sponsor before the Feb. 18 Daytona 500. ... The Performance Racing Network will broadcast the Harrah's 500 on April 1 at Texas Motor Speedway in Spanish and English. The radio broadcast will be syndicated for other Spanish-language stations across the country.

Florida schedule

Major auto racing events around the state:

FEB. 16: Craftsman Trucks Daytona 250, 11 a.m., and IROC Round One, 2 p.m., Daytona International Speedway. Tickets: (904) 253-7223. Web site: http://www.daytonaintlspeedway.com.

FEB. 17: Busch Grand National NAPA Auto Parts 300, 1 p.m.,Daytona International Speedway. Tickets: (904) 253-7223. Web site: http://www.daytonaintlspeedway.com.

FEB. 18: Winston Cup Daytona 500, 1 p.m., Daytona International Speedway. Tickets: (904) 253-7223. Web site: http://www.daytonaintlspeedway.com.

MARCH 3: Grand American Nextel 250, 2 p.m., Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tickets: (305) 230-7223. Web site: http://www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.

MARCH 4: Craftsman Trucks Florida Dodge Dealers 400, noon, Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tickets: (305) 230-7223. Web site: http://www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.

MARCH 15-18: NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville Raceway. Tickets: (800) 884-6472. Web site: http://www.nhraonline.com/events/2001/race3/index.html.

MARCH 17: American Le Mans Series 12 Hours of Sebring, between 10-10:30 a.m., Sebring Raceway. Tickets: (800) 626-7223. Web site: http://www.sebringraceway.com.

APRIL 8: Indy Racing Grand Prix of Miami, 1 p.m., Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tickets: (305) 230-7223. Web site: http://www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.

JULY 7: Winston Cup Pepsi 400, 8 p.m., Daytona International Speedway. Tickets: (904) 253-7223. Web site: http://www.daytonaintlspeedway.com.

SEPT. 12-16: Grand American Finale, TBA, Daytona International Speedway. Tickets: (904) 253-7223. Web site: http://www.daytonaintlspeedway.com.

NOV. 10: Busch Grand National Miami 300, 1:30 p.m., Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tickets: (305) 230-7223. Web site: http://www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.

NOV. 11: Winston Cup Pennzoil 400, 12:30 p.m., Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tickets: (305) 230-7223. Web site: http://www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.

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