NASCAR won’t budge on Roush 4-car limit

With teams scrambling to find sponsorships and raise enough money to run full schedules in this economic crisis, Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith thinks NASCAR should reconsider its four-car limit in the Sprint Cup.

Not a chance, according to NASCAR president Mike Helton. “We have not changed our mind on this," Helton said. "As a matter of fact, it's probably stronger than it's ever been, and we believe it's the right thing to do. That move of a cap of ownership on cars … was a piece of a bigger puzzle."

Roush Fenway will have five Sprint Cup cars this season for the final time before it has to meet NASCAR's car cap in 2010.

Smith, speaking to reporters at the Sprint Cup media tour, believes the recession will make it difficult for that divested fifth car to survive with a smaller team.

Smith also speculated sponsors may be hesitant to stick around if the car is transferred elsewhere.

"It's some vision that was misplaced about how to get new owners in the business," Smith said. "It's a difficult business to be in. Economically, it's very difficult even in the best of times. It takes a lot of capital to get people trained and engines developed. Frankly, it requires cooperative combinations to be able to make it work."

Helton said multiple-car teams are not guaranteed success and could hinder NASCAR during an economic downturn.

"Imagine what it would be like if an owner who had eight or nine teams had financial problems and shut his garage down?" Helton said. More at Sporting News