Firestone and Freightliner

[vino21]

Good news--Firestone will be sponsoring the IRL race in Nashville. I wonder if they will be sponoring anything else in the IRL after their agreement with TG

In similar news--Freightliner will no longer sponsor the CART race in Portland

Originally posted by vino21:
<STRONG>In similar news--Freightliner will no longer sponsor the CART race in Portland</STRONG>

Were they not an associate or "presenting" sponsor? I don't remember. I thought the race organizers signed them after the new contract was done (and race fees went up). My memory though was that they had a title sponsor already.

[Invader Zim]

Doesn't Firestone have a plant in Nashville?

Frightliner is on really really hard times right now. They have cut back production. The whole on highway truck market is suffering big time. They had massive layoffs earlier in the year. I don't think they could afford to sponser a Pinewood Derby for the local Cub Scouts

[dog-ring]

A friend of mine is GM for Stoops Freightliner here in Indy and he said after 30 years in the bidness he has never seen it as bad as it is right now

[ZenMan]

Originally posted by dog-ring:
<STRONG>A friend of mine is GM for Stoops Freightliner here in Indy and he said after 30 years in the bidness he has never seen it as bad as it is right now </STRONG>

That pretty much describes the situation where I work, too. Double frowns for good measure..

[IRL FANatic]

Originally posted by vino21:
<STRONG>In similar news--Freightliner will no longer sponsor the CART race in Portland</STRONG>

I'm not sure if it's the same company or not, but Stoops Freightliner is also no longer sponsoring the USAC Sprint Car series.

The hard times are everywhere!!

[ January 17, 2002: Message edited by: IRL FANatic ]

[HerbieIsHere]

Originally posted by IRL FANatic:
<STRONG>

I'm not sure if it's the same company or not, but Stoops Freightliner is also no longer sponsoring the USAC Sprint Car series.

The hard times are everywhere!!

[ January 17, 2002: Message edited by: IRL FANatic ]</STRONG>

I have a friend who is a leasing manager for a truck place and he said they are selling trucks at a good pace....NOT NEW ONES!!! They have the minimum required new ones on the lot and the rest are bearly a year old and they are from the auctions. They are buying not even 1 year old rigs with low milage for about 1/4 the true value of the rigs!!!!! HE SAID THE REPO RATE IS OUTRAGOUS RIGHT NOW!!!!! A lot of lenders are taking it in the shorts.

[gofastturnleft]

Freightliner is paying the price now for financing anyone and everyone that walked through the door. I heard at one point last year their repo rate was one out of every three trucks they sold.

Too bad as they make a great light duty truck. Many of the contractors I work with are running their F60 and F70 trucks with great success.

Also, I know USAC lost their sponsorship for the midget and Silver Crown classes but last I heard Stoop's was still on board. Has this changed recently?

[IRL FANatic]

Originally posted by gofastturnleft:
<STRONG> I know USAC lost their sponsorship for the midget and Silver Crown classes but last I heard Stoop's was still on board. Has this changed recently?</STRONG>

After checking, you are right...I was wrong. Sorry for the mess up.

[prell5713]

The converstion at the shop yesterday , was about this very subject. Less than one year old freightliners selling for under 15000. If a man were so inclined, he could own a good truck cheap.

[dog-ring]

Originally posted by IRL FANatic:
<STRONG>

After checking, you are right...I was wrong. Sorry for the mess up.</STRONG>

I was told at the Flaf Room tonight that Coors is out as the sponsor of the Silver Crown cars

[OW fan in OK]

Originally posted by dog-ring:
<STRONG>
I was told at the Flaf Room tonight that Coors is out as the sponsor of the Silver Crown cars
</STRONG>

That "vacum's."

I thought people drank more when things were down?

[Mackie]

Originally posted by dog-ring:
<STRONG>A friend of mine is GM for Stoops Freightliner here in Indy and he said after 30 years in the bidness he has never seen it as bad as it is right now </STRONG>

It doesn't look like Volvo is having much trouble. They are now in the position Freightliner was in three years back. Trucking firms are using upscale trucks to lure/keed drivers, Volvo now sets the standard, others will have to do better.

[gofastturnleft]

Originally posted by dog-ring:
<STRONG>
I was told at the Flaf Room tonight that Coors is out as the sponsor of the Silver Crown cars
</STRONG>

MCI Worldcom is gone from the Midget series as well Dog.

Tough sledding for the start of the new year for USAC. A lot of holes in their schedules too still. Particularly in the Silver Crown series. Hopefully nine races is a VERY partial schedule.

[SamC]

Freightliner is a division of DamilerChrysler.

Why would they be involved in a Troy-based race now that M-B is no longer.

Amazing how anybody who leaves the sinking Troy ship is written off to the so-called bad economy (the one where 95% of people have the same job making the same money as 3 years ago).