Richard Paul

The lack of sponsorship for numerous teams in the Sprint Cup garage is further proof that NASCAR is not immune to the economic recession. Some of NASCAR’s top organizations are experiencing sponsorship issues. In the 1990’s and even early 2000’s, sponsoring a NASCAR team was actually a bargain. Proctor and Gamble and its Tide brand sponsored a NASCAR team from 1987 to 2005 before pulling out. After Chip Ganassi Racing merged with Dale Earnhardt Inc., they had hoped to field four full-time teams.

Winning back-to-back championships is a rare feat in NASCAR these days. Many fans and analysts perceived three consecutive championships in today’s NASCAR as virtually impossible to accomplish. Cale Yarborough won three championships in a row in 1976, 1977, and 1978. Even prior to his championship seasons, he was winning, and winning often. How would a fourth consecutive championship affect the sport of NASCAR?

Bill Elliott announced his retirement from full-time competition following the 2003 season. Nevertheless, he continued to compete on a part-time basis in 2004 with Evernham Motorsports. In 2005 and 2006, he continued his partial schedule, driving for Evernham Motorsports and Front Row Motorsports. In 2007, Elliott began driving for the Wood Brothers in select races, hoping to facilitate the team from a performance standpoint.