This is the Statt Mann Baby!!  Time to Scatt a little bit.

The governmental agencies that keep track of such things decided this week that we’ve been in a recession for the last year.

I guess none of them shopped for food or gas the past year to know that reality first hand.  These days you don’t need a pie chart to know you can’t afford to buy a pie!

And, no doubt, none are race fans either because racing has been receding for months now.  The fans are receding.  The teams are receding.  The sponsors are receding. And it appears common sense is receding.

I heard a NASCAR team owner this week imply there are 25 million car buyers among NASCAR’s 75 million fans.

Forget the smoke on the water 75 million fans bit.  25 million car buyers?!

If there were 2.5 million car buyers in NASCAR grandstands this year Detroit wouldn’t be on Capitol Hill with its hand out begging.  For that matter, GM would declare a holiday if it could move 250,000 units out its new car storage closets this season.

Where do these people get these fantasy numbers!

With every aspect of motor racing receding from the sport this off season, we have to wonder just who will be listening in the forest when racing’s trees fall in 2009. 

Peace.