Brian France said Friday that he is cognizant that Detroit’s Big Three automakers are suffering critical financial problems...

NASCAR has been a great marketing opportunity for Detroit for a long time, but at a time when new, innovative technology is what sells and people are interested in smaller cars, maybe pushrod 350 c.i. v8's stuffed into 3600 pound cars claiming to be some of Detroit's bigger sedans, and in fact much bigger and boxier than those sedans actually are, isn't the best place for them to be spending their suddenly limited money.

I won't pretend modern-day NASCAR is my favorite form of racing, but I still recognize that stock car racing (NASCAR or not) is a strong and important tradition in American racing, and NASCAR is the face of that tradition, so if the manufacturers do get panicky and think about jumping ship, I'll still be hoping NASCAR sees it coming in time to work through it (though if the manufacturers wanted to come to sports cars or open-wheel, I'd be there waiting for them...).

In fact, maybe an end to the age of NASCAR's invincibility would be a good thing in terms of the racing itself...less sponsor-driven pro wrestling stuff and more real racing like when I still cared about NASCAR in the 80s and 90s.

The Big 3 (now 4) are all in trouble, and I'm sure that their participation in NASCAR will be short, check that, VERY short in duration.
They are all losing SERIOUS amounts of money and I'm sure they cant keep spending it on something that get's little or no return
But the reality is that NASCAR does NOT need the big 4 to continue.
NASCAR fans are loyal to their favorite DRIVERS! NOT what kind of "cars" they drive.
People in this country buy cars now a days for a few reasons..
#1 How much is the monthly payment,rebate, (APR)
#2 Gas mileage
#3 does it have cup holders/DVD player for the kids
It doesn't matter if it says Ford, Chevy, or Toyota on the fenders.
Why do you think Toyota got into NASCAR?
reason being to SELL PICK-UP TRUCKS, and who better than to market their product to than NASCAR fans? from what I see It's working.
Im sure Toyota's goal is short term and they will go soon with all the rest.
Im a long time NASCAR fan, and a true Blue Oval man, but those days are over, it's a different game now, and what my favorite driver is driving on Sunday, just doesn't matter, and Im sure the Big 4 know that, ON TOP of the fact they simply cant AFFORD to be in Motorsports too much longer.
Or let me say thay can't afford to be at the SAME level they have been in the past...

my question is this. Will detroit's woes drag down speedtv? Speedtv depends almost exclusively on nascar for their income. All the stuff during the week is just late night filler material that is cheap to run. If nascar has serious problems will Speed also? Also if nascar and speedtv go down what will that mean for the future of broadcasts of other racing series. Lets face it love it or hate it nascar pays for everything else at speedtv.