Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Fishel, 40-year racing veteran, still well-informed
By Mike Mulhern
JOURNAL REPORTER
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArti cle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834107461&path=%21sports&s =1037645509200

"The decision to go to common templates was clearly done by NASCAR with
the idea that at some point in time there would be a 'NASCAR car' -
designed and created by NASCAR - that any manufacturer could, for some charge,
go to NASCAR and brand it with its own identity (for Cup racing).
"It's all been heading toward this car of tomorrow."

CRU:
So as we all suspected, it's all about NA$CAr all the time!
Cars, collectibles, foundations, fragrances, et.al..

--
Crusader

"Crusader" <cru32 (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote

Since the COT is a Nascar creation, any replicas (spelled d-i-e-c-a-s-t)
would have to be licensed by Nascar.

Seems that Nascar buying out that diecast company awhile back is starting to
make a little more sense.

"armpit" <udontneedit (AT) myemail (DOT) addy> wrote

I would have thought so too, pit, but come to find out, they went in with
Bruton Smith and SMI to buy *them* (Caliber Diecast - from Jack Roush in
September, and Action Performance in December). Where the hell did that come
from? Yes, the same Bruton that has threatened on several occasions to "take
his tracks" and leave NASCAR to start his own thing. The same one that said
"fine" and bought NW (along with the Bahres) to get his Texas date, and then
sued N$ until Darlington was on life support and NCS was as dead as NW to
get another one.

I wouldn't have caught Bruton's involvement, but I had to dig into the sale
as research for a personal project and bigger than life, there was Bruton
and his company (and his son Marcus G. Smith), arm and arm with ISC in
scarfing up these 2 diecast companies.

Here's a link: http://performancediecast.com/moau.html

The company's "new" name is Motorsports Authentics BTW.

And OH BTW, Bruton Smith is about to purchase the NHRA. Not another track,
car, or team. The whole sanctioning body....Guess I'll have to let my
membership lapse, for the first time, since 1975. Thank gawd there's an IHRA
I guess...

"SimRacer" <nOspaM@simracer68 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

them. Granted, they are doing well now.

"SG" <spaamtrapper (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

Yes, Bruton Smith spends big money to provide top-notch facilities. Remeber
when Texas first opened and all the problems they had with drainage,
"facilities", not to mention the racing surface.

Bruton didn't penny-pinch and make band-aid fixes, he spent lots of money
and fixed things right.

Actually, I think the NHRA will be in good hands with Bruton. (I could be
wrong, though...)

"SG" <spaamtrapper (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

I've disliked Bruton as a fellow NC businessman for longer than most fans
here have been fans of NASCAR. To get into the specifics, literally, would
take days here to explain. The high points though, are his lack of ethics in
his business practices. And his repeated threats in the 80s and early 90s to
"take his tracks, leave NASCAR, and start his own series" as posturing for
nothing anymore noble than more races for his tracks. He (his Ferko lawsuit)
essentially closed North Carolina Speedway (Rockingham), and when he wooed
the NHRA back to Bristol, he took with him the only remaining drag race at
the "other" Rock, the drag strip across the street from the speedway. Yeah,
those are pretty much the high points...but I could go on for hours.

I know it will do no good, and have no bearing on the outcome, but I sent my
thoughts on his purchase of them to the NHRA and voiced my strong
reservations. If he buys the series, I will certainly not renew this Spring.
Trust me, Bruton is a snake oil salesman. His pitches always look good on
paper, but are generally so self serving that they end up hurting whatever
it is that he is buying or buying into. Which reminds me, what is the status
of the lawsuit against his chlorinated "engine goop" product, Z-Max?

In article <mspLf.41537$%84.18469 (AT) tornado (DOT) southeast.rr.com>,
nOspaM@simracer68 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com says...
With your vast experience I'm surprised you even post here with us common
folk. But I guess experience doesn't necessarily equate to intelligence. And
what kind of 'business' are you in? Crack dealership?