MWR remains optimistic even in sponsorship limbo (cont'd)

"Two things are happening at the same time," Norris said. "Some of the people that we've been talking to are starting to get into some serious conversations with us, saying we're starting to run better. Interest always seems to be heightened when you're performing better on the racetrack, because we always have been able to perform for sponsors off the track. Now that we're getting some on-track performance -- David Reutimann and that team has been terrific lately, and Michael McDowell, for the second straight weekend, has come here loaded for bear -- we feel like we're getting very competitive.

"So actually there is a tremendous amount of momentum going forward, especially with groups we've been talking to. There is optimism."

McDowell, who will start 35th in Sunday's race (qualifying was rained out and the field set according to the rulebook), said he is happy to be back behind the wheel of the No. 00.

"Everybody talks about confidence and what changed, and it's not one thing," McDowell said. "It's not just the racecar. I'm better right now than I was five weeks ago. I'm better because of the car, the car's better because of me, the crew's better because of all of it -- and it really is a team effort.

"When you go out there and the car sticks and the car has good grip and you can really hustle it, you gain more confidence -- you gain more confidence, which then helps you give feedback to the crew. [Crew chief] Peter Sospenzo and everybody at Michael Waltrip Racing have done a good job. These are the runs we need to have, especially to keep the car in the top 35. We're still working hard to secure funding [for next year]."

Therein lies the rub. It's all about the funding.

With UPS and its considerable dollars headed elsewhere, MWR needs to find new money to fill the gap if it's going to field three teams again next season. Waltrip is set with NAPA signed on as the primary sponsor of his car next year, but Reutimann has only half of next season currently covered by Aaron's, which hopes to serve as a co-primary with another sponsor.

"It's not an easy time, for sure," said Norris, citing the struggling economy. "But when you see people like NAPA re-sign, when you see people like UPS stay with the sport, those are good signs. ... For them to see NASCAR as a very, very viable marketing platform is good. I'm glad to see them stay in the sport. The biggest thing you worry about are companies leaving."

That's exactly what happened recently when Texaco announced it was getting out of the sport after a longtime association with various teams, the latest being the No. 42 Dodge driven by Juan Montoya and fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing. Also leaving the Cup scene next year is AAA that currently serves as primary sponsor on Ragan's car and will be replaced next year by UPS.

"When the economy does get tight and it has its issues that it's going through right now, you fear that people will leave," Norris said. "Fortunately, most haven't left; some of them have shifted to better-performing teams. But I think this sport is going to be able to ride this downturn. I still think we're going to have plenty of teams. It's hard to go in there cold turkey right now and convince someone to spend $15 million, but at least most of the sponsors that are in the sport right now are staying in it."

But what really is needed, according to Norris and others, are some new companies to invest in the sport.

"The sport always needs new blood," Norris admitted. "We brought in some new blood last year with Domino's [Pizza] and Burger King. Their businesses couldn't withstand it. I'm not sure they were prepared to be primary sponsors at the time that they were."

So those sponsors left. But Norris said organizations always are searching for new ways to bring different streams of revenue into their operations, and the sport itself.

"The sport needs new blood; it needs new money, no question," he said. "What I would love to see is new categories, because if a new category comes into the sport, it seems to open it up for all the other companies in that same category. So it will be interesting to see if there are any new categories coming in that can penetrate the sport.

"For instance, when Pennzoil does something on the primary level, then it almost in a defensive mechanism makes Valvoline and Mobil and some of these other companies look at it -- because if they're going to be here, then they figure they need to be here. Red Bull came in as an energy drink. So Pepsi countered it with Amp. And that's new money.

"So when you start looking at that, you start wondering what the next categories are that can come in here and open up all the business under that category. For instance, spirits. When Crown Royal did their deal, then Jack Daniel's came and that created some other opportunities within that category. So I hope there are some other categories that have businesses and companies strong enough to enter the sport, and make it competitive for others to join."

Norris said he has no timetable for the aforementioned three prospective MWR sponsors, and admitted that fielding a third team for next season, which is the current plan, may hinge on what happens.

"A lot of our current sponsors are re-signing. And we have at least three very, very solid opportunities that would, one, shore up the second half of the Reutimann car and, two, create a primary opportunity for McDowell," Norris said. "Time will tell, but at least those things are in the funnel, so to speak.

"We've pushed a couple of them on timing. But the best we can do is tell them what our timing is, and see if they can accommodate us. You can't push these things too fast; sometimes if you say, 'I've got to know by next week,' then they say, 'Well, if I have to answer you by next week, then the answer is no.' That's when you say, 'OK then, I'll give a couple more weeks.'"