Hendrick Motorsports owner says it’s about the future of the team and it’s new stable of young rookie drivers
There’s a lot of talk about saving money in NASCAR these days. It’s been a primary talking point all week, all year really. Dale Earnhardt Jr escalated the points last week at Watkins Glen. He basically stated NASCAR drivers are paid too much.
Related: Dale Earnhardt Jr comments on NASCAR driver salaries
The news that William Byron would replace Kasey Kahne broke multiple days ago. That leaves 3, for the most part, rookie NASCAR drivers inside one of the most successful NASCAR teams in history. A lot of people have speculated that it was a cost cutting move by Rick Hendrick.
Related: William Byron will replace Kasey Kahne at Hendrick Motorsports
Why pay 3-4-5 times the amount to a vetran NASCAR driver? When a rookie will run the same car at a fraction of the price. You might not win as many races, or maybe you’ll win more. Either way, it becomes a lot easier to run a profitable racing team when a bulk of your budget isn’t gobbled by a 15 year veteran driver.
Rick Hendrick says that isn’t the idea at all. It is a re-branding of Hendrick Motorsports, no question. But, it wasn’t a move based on the objective of cost cutting. He insists it was a move to plan for the NASCAR teams future.
Rick Hendrick
Rick Hendrick states, “We’re always, as a sport, looking for ways to save money. The cost to race has gone up and that’s no secret. All of the teams owners and NASCAR are looking for ways to save some money.”
The Hendrick Motorsports owner continued, “We’re fortunate that we’ve got some good partners. That have been with us a long time.”
“In our business, we just want to win. I mean, our brand’s all about trying to win races and grow for the future.”
“I plan to be in this a long time. I’m really excited about having a guy that’s won as much as William has. I love the dedication that he’s shown and Chase [Elliott] and then Alex [Bowman].”
Rick Hendrick concluded, “I think we’re positioning ourselves for the future. We want to be here. I’ve been at it a long time. I want to see our organization grow. And grow with these talented drivers.”
Links
William Byron
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Kasey Kahne
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Hendrick Motorsports
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NASCAR
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