NOTEBOOK: Ganassi lays it on the line

            CONCORD – Chip Ganassi knows massive improvement is in order with his NASCAR operation. Last year his Earnhardt Ganassi Racing drivers, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray, finished 21^st and 27^th, respectively, in the Sprint Cup standings.

            Ganassi minced no words to the Sprint Media Tour, hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. He called his team’s performance “pathetic for a team of our resources.” He said he has no plans for adding a third team in the near future.

            Even in trying economic times, Ganassi said, “Sponsorship is still the easiest part of the puzzle. It’s putting the rest of the pieces together that’s the hard part.”

            As for the benefits of fielding three cars, Ganassi said, “I’ve changed on that.”

            Tool injection – Montoya said the switch to electronic fuel injection (EFI) provides what others might consider an unexpected advantage. The nature of the change in engine technology gives the driver more options within the car.

            “There are a lot of tools there for the driver,” he said. “I’m excited about it.”

            The Roush philosophy – Jack Roush has always believed in developing talent within. That only increased when the NASCAR owner paired with Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry.

            “Jack (Roush) has never been one to go out in the free-agent market,” said Roush Fenway Racing president Steve Newmark. “Developing drivers within our own system has always been absolutely crucial to our success.

            “A lot of rides now go to drivers who bring sponsors with them. Jack and John (Henry) have always said, with this team, that’s not the way it’s going to be.”

            Just around the corner – The national economy is improving, albeit slowly, but economic conditions in NASCAR seem to be more troubled than ever, what with a reduction in well-financed teams and a number of sponsorship issues still facing the teams that are still active.

            But, said Newmark, “I’m actually as optimistic as I’ve been in quite some time about the future of the sport. I think it’s really starting to stabilize. We had a bubble. The bubble burst, and we’re going through an adjustment. The sales cycle is just a little longr than it used to be.

            “If you brought somebody in right now who didn’t have any historical perspective on NASCAR and where it was, and you showed him the numbers on all the sports in the U.S., I think they’d look at NASCAR and say it’s a tremendous sport. The NFL king, but then you’ve got NASCAR, and all the metrics are second only to pro football.”

            Catering to the Dems – Charlotte Motor Speedway is holding a Labor Day Family Festival to kick off the week of the Democratic National Convention. The Sept. 3 event will be “a free, non-partisan community celebration of the South.”

            It will feature live entertainment, activities and exhibits showcasing Charlotte and the Carolinas.

Monte Dutton; 704-869-1841; twitter.com/montedutton