Today our series on the business of NASCAR continues. And when we talk about the business of NASCAR, in large part we are talking about owners. And no one is a greater owner than Richard Childress:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Childress

Childress is a great owner because he started as a driver. So he understands everything about this sport. Once his driving days ended, he moved to the management side:

“He retired from driving in 1981 after Rod Osterlund sold his NASCAR team to J.D. Stacy, and Osterlund’s driver, Dale Earnhardt, did not want to drive for Stacy. Childress, with recommendations from R. J. Reynolds Tobacco, chose to retire and put Earnhardt behind the wheel of his #3 car, complete with Wrangler Jeans sponsorship.”

Richard Childress turned the challenge into an opportunity. He worked with Dale Earnhardt to transform a regional sport into an international spectacle. That’s what great business leaders do. And a great business leader is what Childress is.

Today we start a new series on NASCAR. But rather than focus on what a great sport it is, we’re going to focus on what a great business it is.

What does it take to run a NASCAR team? Who gets involved in this kind of business? How does it work?

All this week, we’ll discuss how a driver “gets a ride” and who the people are behind the scenes that makes this sport a great business.

Today we continue our series on how the NFL labor dispute helps NASCAR:

http://www.aolnews.com/2010/08/26/does-nascar-need-a-drivers-union-like-indycar-and-formula-one/

One of the biggest reasons it helps is that NASCAR doesn’t have a union. Not only that, many of its drivers say it doesn’t need a union:

“‘It’s pretty simple, NASCAR is the destination of choice for almost every driver in the world so if you don’t like it, there’s someone that will be right there on your heels ready to take your place,’ driver Carl Edwards said this week. ‘Maybe that’s why they (NASCAR) have been able to do their own thing for so long.”’

Exactly. NASCAR is a meritocracy. People drive in it because they want to. They don’t have time to complain about their rights. Maybe other businesses, including the NFL, should model themselves on NASCAR.

Today we continue our series on how NASCAR is poised to take advantage of the labor standoff in the NFL:

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2011/01/19/helton-nfl-lockout-could-impact-nascar.html

So what happens if the NFL can’t get its act together? NASCAR happens.  Here is what NASCAR’s leader, Mike Helton, has to say:

“Helton said NASCAR isn’t hoping for a lockout by the NFL or National Basketball Association, but the race circuit will be ready in case new fans come its way because of canceled NFL or NBA games.”

The American people love sports. And if they can’t watch football this fall, they’ll be watching NASCAR. And once a new fan watches NASCAR for the first time, he will be hooked.

Now that the Super Bowl is over, it’s time for March Madness…only I’m not referring to college basketball.

NASCAR is the sport to watch for the next few weeks. And for the next few days, we’ll be letting you in on some surprising facts about this great sport.  And we’ll be pointing out how different NASCAR is from NFL and why the lockout in the NFL isn’t likely to happen to NASCAR.

So get ready to shift gears with me this week as we take a ride with NASCAR!

When you watch the revolution unfolding in the Middle East, keep in mind that your money has helped tyrants suppress it. That’s right: the money you pay at the gas pump is helping the dictators resist the revolution:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/42005048

As the article notes:

“But Colonel Qaddafi probably began hoarding liquid assets far earlier, officials said. He has built up Libya’s cash reserves in the years since the West began lifting economic sanctions on his government in 2004, following his decision to renounce unconventional weapons and cooperate with the United States in the fight against Al Qaeda. That led to a flood of Western investment in the Libyan oil and natural gas industries, and access to international oil and financial markets.”

Let’s end welfare for dictators in the Middle East. Let’s promote domestic renewable energy.

Today our series on gas prices continues with a look at how the whole economy is impacted:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-08/kuwait-says-opec-members-discussing-whether-to-have-an-urgent-meeting.html

As this article notes, what goes on in the Middle East impacts all of us here in America:

“Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members have pledged to ensure adequate supply to the market as violence in Libya reduced output from Africa’s third-largest crude producer. OPEC is also under pressure to assuage soaring fuel prices after New York- traded oil rallied yesterday to $105.44 a barrel, the highest closing price since September 2008 and was at $105.01 as of 1:51 p.m. London time.”

How big has the impact been in America? February saw stock market prices plunge, affecting everyone’s savings and investments. And what caused the plunge? High gas prices. Unfortunately, gas prices are likely to get higher before going lower.

So be prepared and start spreading the news about the need for domestic, renewable energy.

Today we continue our series on the impact of the oil crisis. And we do so by focusing on what it means for our national security:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/6/gadhafi-could-wage-protracted-civil-war/

Twice in the last 20 years we have sent our military into a war in the Middle East to protect our interests. Could it be that we get drawn into another conflict over there?

“Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s well-equipped but poorly trained security forces can wage a protracted battle against rebel fighters, allowing the beleaguered Libyan leader to cling to power for months, according to analysts and former Libyan officials.”

Whether we get involved directly or not, the region seems likely to see fighting for some time. And with so much of our oil coming from the Middle East, that’s bad news for us.

Again, the question must be asked: shouldn’t we end our dependence on foreign oil?

Today we continue our series on what high gas prices mean. And we focus on what they mean for the other parts of the economy:

http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20110303/BIZ01/303030081/1148/rss1020/High-diesel-costs-may-push-other-prices-up?odyssey=nav|head

In many ways, gasoline is the lifeblood of our entire economy. Energy is what drives our cars and fuels our homes and offices. So when gas prices go up, there is a ripple effect on everything.  Think about it: there is almost nothing in your life that is not impacted by gas. As this article notes, this is especially true for diesel which is what fuels the trucks that transport so many products to the marketplace:

“The typical big rig gets about 6 miles to the gallon and can carry anywhere from 150 to 300 gallons of fuel. That means a fillup can cost $1,098 today compared to $849 a year ago. In the longer run…higher fuel costs will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices for the goods delivered by trucks.”

This is the real danger: you and I will not only pay higher prices at the gas pump, but also at the store for everyday products we buy.

This is another reason why we need renewable energy here at home.

Today we continue our series on the impact of rising gas prices.

We all know what the cause this: uncertainty in the Middle East is creating much higher gas prices than even just a few weeks ago. But we often don’t stop to think about how this is the ultimate family pocketbook issue:

http://www.ehow.com/ehow-tax-time/

Many families don’t plan for gas expenses in their family budget. And those that do don’t plan for huge spikes in prices. Gasoline at $3.50 a gallon is enough to hurt many families. And this impacts every part of their lives: how they get to work, how they take their kids to school, how they go shop for groceries. Gasoline prices directly impact all of that.

This is yet another reason why we need to get off of foreign oil and start producing more domestic sources of energy.