The Xfinity Series usually travels wherever the Cup Series does. But last weekend, it took the lead and went to the Rockingham Speedway along with the Truck Series while the premier series took a short nap on account of Easter Sunday. So, what to make of it?
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Well, the trip was a giant success with fans loving the experience. This raises the question: will more such independent events be beneficial for the Xfinity Series?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. answered this question on the recent episode of his podcast, The Dale Jr. Download. The popular icon owns JR Motorsports, a championship-winning Xfinity Series outfit, and believes that standalone events will not be in favor of the team owners from a financial standpoint.
Junior used a particular example involving the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and the Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) to make his case. When NASCAR traveled to Indianapolis back in the day, the Cup Series would race at the IMS, and the lower tiers would race at the IRP.
When the Xfinity Series was shifted to the larger track, people were not in favor of it. They liked how the race went down at IRP and wanted the same to continue. However, sponsors had a shockingly different reaction to the change. They were willing to shell out more dollars when the race was held at the IMS than when it was held at the IRP.
At this crossroads, the choice was obvious for Junior. He declared, “We are not going to race at the IRP because it puts on a better race when we can sell $100,000 more sponsorship racing at the big track.” This is the mindset of the majority of team owners in the Xfinity Series.
Why going solo doesn’t pay for the Xfinity series
On its own, the second-tier does not have a lot of clout regardless of how good the race engagement is. It needs the Cup Series and the energy that comes off at big venues to sustain itself financially. So, as much as Dale Earnhardt Jr. would love to travel to the remotest corners of the country to have JR Motorsports race in local short tracks, his purse just won’t play sport with him.
“I love that idea, but it ain’t a good business model,” he said and added, “If we separate from the Cup [Series] mothership, we lose exposure, we lose sponsorship dollars, and we lose a lot of attention that would be around for our event that weekend. Crews, pitting cars, and all that stuff become more challenging and more expensive.”
Junior has his thoughts laid out straight. Follow the Cup Series and feed off it. Interestingly, JR Motorsports made its maiden Cup Series start earlier this year at the Daytona 500. Justin Allgaier piloted the No. 40 Chevrolet Camaro and finished in ninth place. More such starts are expected from the team in the times to come.
