We’ve come to the end of another year. They seem to go faster and faster as we get older and older. It’s no different for the NASCAR community, the year streaks by and then there is an end to the madness, but only for a couple of months. Unlike most sports, after the season is over, work goes on with the equipment used, as well as the bodies that use that equipment.
I thought I would review what I thought were the top three stories of the 2003 season. These events affected the racing community tremendously, and for some reason, 2003 seemed to be the year of change in a sport that has been resistant to that change for such a long time. This is a perfect segue to my number three event, the naming of Brian France as the CEO of NASCAR and his father’s retirement.
Not many companies the size and scope of NASCAR can say that they still have the founding family at the helm. Big Bill France gave his son Bill Jr. the chance to move NASCAR into the direction of a national sport, and now, Bill Jr. has given his son Brian that same chance. Each faced challenges, and no family has met those challenges with as much vigor as the France family. Bill Jr. groomed Brian for this job, starting with a General Manager job at Tucson Raceway Park in Arizona. Now he will lead this sport into the 21st century.
My number two event is the demise of the race back to the yellow. I’ve talked about this since it’s inception, and still believe that it was the best thing to do for the racers. Granted it will take some fine-tuning, but I think the powers that be will get their heads together and come up with the right solution to the “lucky dog” rule.
Of course the number one story of the year has to be the signing of NEXTEL and the demise of Winston after 33 years of sponsorship. When Junior Johnson went to the company execs in 1971 to look for sponsorship for his teams, I don’t think he had any idea that he would help form one of the most powerful relationships in sports. From a one hundred thousand dollar package in 1972 to seventeen million dollars in 2003, the money alone has made it exciting. Perhaps even more exciting is the transformation of a “redneck” sport into the most watched sport in America. It doesn’t matter what walk of life you are from. NASCAR Cup racing reaches everyone, and that is due in a big part to R. J. Reynolds and the Winston brand. They will be missed. We hope NEXTEL can fill those shoes, it certainly won’t be easy.
Finally, from the Austin Rey and Buck Buckholz family, we wish you all a Happy New Year, and as always, till next time, keep turning left!

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