Quite honestly, I truely believe that it's the sponsors at the local tracks/smaller venues that deserve more advertising space for their dollar. NASCAR could well do with the same. The arguments have long been made: 'that's the way it's always been', that 'they need the big numbers to identify the cars' or that 'sponsors change but the number stays the same' (as we well know, several of the NASCAR teams' numbers are even copyrighted/registered trademarks). Change isn't always a bad thing.
Nowadays just about every venue (NASCAR, NHRA, etc.) is complaining about the lack of sponsorship/corporate dollars and yet the number is still the largest thing on the side of a roundy-round racer? Sponsors, no matter how large or small, want their name/product to be as visible as possible. If it isn't, then maybe their advertising dollar would be better spent elsewhere.
It's real easy for a driver/team to take the sponsors dollars and then yak up how you do meet 'n' greets or speaking engagements to bolster their products, but in the end the reality is that that's just preaching to the choir. The real value in advertising is getting your product out in front of a new audience/potential purchaser. And in that instance...bigger is always better.
Maybe it's just me but I've never really understood the need for the big numbers. Yeah sure, maybe back in the beginning, but technology (better optics, better camera lenses, etc.) has made that pretty much a non-issue. And if the fans can't tell their favorite driver by whatever sponsor he has this week, well then, I guess they aren't too much of a 'fan'. I hardly follow NASCAR at all and I can tell who's who without too much trouble. An even better allegory would be my wife...she doesn't really follow drag racing at all (my main racing passion for the past 40+ years) and even she knows who the drivers are and who they drive for. How? B-I-G sponsor names.
Off my soapbox.
