Cicci Racing forced to close doors with lack of sponsors

In his 20th year of ownership, Frank Cicci still has the desire to race. What he doesn't have is the money.

Frank Cicci Racing is shuttered for the immediate future unless a primary sponsor steps up. Cicci withdrew his Busch Series entry at Texas last week and again for Saturday' Bashas' Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway.

"We were in the top 30 and a guaranteed starter at Texas, but I had to withdraw due to a lack of sponsorship," Cicci said Wednesday from his Mooresville, N.C., shop. "I've been trying all year to find sponsorship and have been paying this out of my pocket for the first seven races and just couldn't go on any more."

The No. 34 Chevrolet made six races this season, with driver Jay Sauter posting a best finish of 15th at Bristol. But without funding, Cicci can't afford to load up the hauler. The Elmira, N.Y., native recently put his superspeedway cars up for sale.

"We don't have the funding to go on," Cicci said. "We've got a good team, it's my 20th year, really good people, really good driver in Jay Sauter. We were just getting better and better. We just can't go on any more. It's a bad situation."

Cicci said a combination of factors led to this situation, one being how the price of gasoline has affected sponsorship money.

"When you've got to fill your tank and you don't have any money left, you can't go out and make purchases or products," Cicci explained. "That makes companies wary of what their future income is going to be and so they kind of tighten up in anticipation of a slowdown in their business."

In addition, Cicci pointed out that running a single-car team in the Busch Series was an uphill battle.

"We're competing against multi-car teams that can offer signage on the rest of their cars, in addition to being the primary on the car they're trying to sell," he said. "In the Cup Series, they've gone to a limit of four cars per individual owner but in the Busch Series, there's no restriction and that's hurt the Busch Series.

"What it's going to come down to is there's a real unhealthy climate of only four or five owners owning all the cars. That's a bad deal."

Cicci is most disappointed that his team probably won't be able to compete in the two road course races later this season.

"I especially wanted to enter Watkins Glen and Montreal because we kind of pride ourselves on our road course stuff," Cicci said. "We're from the Watkins Glen area and we won that race in '98, finished first and second."

Cicci Racing made its Busch Series debut in 1987, with Jimmy Spencer behind the wheel at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Spencer, Todd Bodine, Mike McLaughlin, Tim Fedewa and Ron Fellows were among the drivers who posted victories for the team over the past two decades.

Cicci admitted that closing his shop was the correct decision. But that didn't make it any easier to take.

"I'm an old-time racer but I just can't do it any more."