Catchfence

Drivers, Owners React Differently to Mid-Season Announcements

Huntersville, N.C. (July 8, 2009) – The calendar might read July 2009, but race teams are already looking ahead to the 2010 season with announcements about new drivers, sponsors and staff for next year. These announcements can affect how a team takes care of business for the remainder of the current season — from how much testing a team does to how a driver performs on track.

Drivers Bobby Labonte and John Andretti and owner Eddie D’Hondt share their different perspectives:

Bobby Labonte

“The sport has changed a lot over the years. This ‘Silly Season’ stuff was something that used to start in October or November when the season ended. It was something between drivers and team owners. Today, because we’ve got sponsors who need to prepare around their fiscal calendars and such, ‘Silly Season’ is something that is 12 months of the year. It keeps one guy so busy he devotes his life and a website to it. As a driver, I think you always want to win. You’ve always got that competitive drive. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be at this level. So even if a driver or a team makes a change, I think they’re out there pushing just as hard as they did in February.

“I think the changes happen more behind the scenes with the teams, the marketing people, the PR people. They’ve got to start preparing for the changes coming next season. But if you’re in the car, that’s what you’re focusing on – driving the car.”

John Andretti

“When a driver and a team decide they’re going to split up, the last thing they want is for the relationship to end on a bad note. I think more often than not you see the driver and team dig deeper to finish strong.

“If you’re a driver, you want the team to miss you when you’re gone. And if you’re on the team, you want the driver to think about how good your equipment is once he leaves. When you run badly, no one looks good. So usually both sides rally, even after they announce a split.”

Crew Chief Eddie D'hondt talks with ARCA RE/MAX Driver Alli Owens

“When it comes down to it, it’s a business decision to make a change. At the Sprint Cup level, everyone understands that performance is what counts. Whether a driver leaves his team for another, or whether a team replaces a driver, it’s all done to run better. When changes happen mid-season, everyone usually does their best to make the most of the year. It’s always better to end on a good note.

“It’s not uncommon for performance to suffer somewhat because teams are less likely to test with lame duck drivers and they’re less likely to share information they’ve learned with someone that’s leaving. That can keep a team from evolving together. But as far as hurt feelings and taking things personally, most everyone on the Sprint Cup level knows that it’s just business and will still do their best.”

- Breaking Limits Marketing, a Bobby Labonte Company, Press Release