Stumbled onto this story. It’s longer than I usually include here but haven’t heard this before, sound like the guy is talking Winston Cup: “Wake County businessman Steve Husketh plans to start the area’s first NASCAR team by building a 42,000-square-foot complex in Chatham County to house racing operations. Husketh, chairman of an auto-racing merchandising company and owner of six brake, tire and inspection shops in North Carolina, is the sole investor in a venture he estimates will cost about $2.5 million before the team tries to qualify for its first race. He said he has a driver and some sponsors lined up but wants to wait to introduce them at a press conference later this year. The Pittsboro complex will contain an assembly house where the car will be built and repaired; a glass-walled cafe where diners can watch mechanics work; and a merchandising shop. Premiere Corp., which Husketh chairs, licenses merchandise endorsed by many of auto racing’s biggest names, he said. The new racing company will be called Premiere Motorsports. Fees to join the circuit are minimal. A NASCAR spokesman said new teams must buy a car number and NASCAR license — about a $500 cost — before they can try to qualify. The real cost of participation comes from labor, parts, design, testing the car and transportation to events. Many racing executives estimate it costs at least $6 million a season to be competitive. Husketh was scheduled to submit his zoning request for the facility to Chatham County officials May 7. Husketh would have preferred to put the shop close to his home in western Wake County, but county officials rejected his request for a special-use permit, saying the land near Apex he wanted to build on was not properly zoned. Others have criticized his decision, saying Premiere Motorsports will be at a disadvantage with product and personnel operating more than 100 miles from Charlotte, he said. But Husketh plans to bring some personnel up from the Charlotte area and he wants to give local mechanics a shot at the NASCAR scene. Turning a profit is getting tougher for NASCAR teams, particularly for one-car teams who compete against multi-car owners — such as Rick Hendrick, Felix Sabates and Jack Roush — who can pool resources and track-testing days, said Dan Lowasser, who handles marketing for Hendrick Motorsports in Charlotte. Unlike team sports with set leagues, NASCAR drivers have to qualify each week. At this year’s Daytona 500, the sport’s most prestigious race, 57 drivers competed for just 43 spots. But because of auto racing’s soaring popularity nationwide, more and more groups are trying to crack into the sport. Husketh owns Quality Automotive Concepts, whose holdings include Quality Brake & Tire in Cary and Quality Inspection Centers in Cary and Raleigh.(Triangle businessman gears up NASCAR team) by Steve Robblee of the Triangle Business Journal)(5-13-98)
