It’s Friday, so the Agent has been perusing the news to bring you something a little different. This week it is money. Although the ratings for NHRA on FS1 have not been spectacular, NASCAR has seen its ratings plummet almost steadily from 2009. This year’s Daytona 500 was down 22 percent from last year.



Costs are going up and teams have to stretch their budgets. Ralph Sheheen reports in Speed Sport that some NASCAR teams are bringing their own ice to the race tracks. It’s cheaper than buying it at the venue, saving the teams as much as $700 a weekend. Add that up over 30-plus weekends and it’s a significant savings.



That’s how tight budgets are getting these days, even for the top-tier organizations. And that’s a chilling thought.