Elliott's semiretirement plan has benefits

Elwood · December 16, 2003

By Lee Spencer - SportingNews.com

Bill Elliott's plans of semiretirement will spark a trend over the next few years among 40-something drivers who still are competitive, enjoy racing and want to collect a handsome check at the end of the year.

The first year that Elliott raced the entire season, 1983, his payout was $479,965. Elliott's team made more than that through the first four races of the 2003 season. Unlike some veterans who felt compelled to continue racing for the cash in the past, today's 40-something veterans have made more money than they ever imagined.

The risk of injury vs. the monetary reward just isn't worth it for many drivers. And for those who don't feel their team has a shot at the championship, the opportunity exists to make a very comfortable living without as many sponsorship demands, testing hassles or schlepping to a track 38 weekends a year.

Bobby Labonte, who turns 40 next May, says Elliott's solution could be the wave of the future.

"If it works out well for him, there may be a whole set of guys who use this plan as their exit strategy," Labonte says.

Bobby's brother, Terry, a two-time Winston Cup champion, might be the next to scale back. He turned 47 last month and finished in the top 10 for the 17th time but hasn't decided how long he wants to keep racing. He re-signed with Hendrick Motorsports last summer but would not disclose the length of his contract. Considering the relationship Labonte has with team owner Rick Hendrick, he could probably race as long as he wants, but chances are he will step down when the organization is ready to move Kyle Busch up to the Nextel Cup Series.

In the last 25 years, Terry Labonte has witnessed dramatic changes in NASCAR. The one aspect that has been the most difficult on the drivers and their families has been the expanding schedule. Through 1996 in the modern era, there never were more than 31 points races; now there are 36. Drivers also face the Bud Shootout, the Nextel all-star event, preseason testing and offseason sponsor commitments.

"It's a hectic schedule," he says. "It gets old, and when you've done it as long as Bill and I have, you're looking forward to the end of the year.

"If I wanted to retire, I could. But I don't want to. I know I want to go at least one more year and perhaps another after that. I still love it, and I think one day I'll wake up and say, 'Today is the day.' "

When the season ended, Labonte took refuge at his ranch in Texas, hunting and spending time with his family. Labonte would like to spend more time mentoring his son, Justin, who's racing, the way his father mentored Bobby and him. Labonte suggested an alternative that would give veterans opportunities to do such things.

"I told Bill (Elliott) it would be neat if two or three of us got together, and we had one real good team that ran all the races," Labonte says, adding that the races could perhaps be divided according to where drivers ran well. " The competition is so tough today, though, your team has got to be there every weekend to be competitive."

Richard Childress Racing won the Busch Series owners title with Kevin Harvick and Johnny Sauter splitting time in the No. 21 car, but chances are NASCAR would frown on the same arrangement in its top level. However, if the drivers can race with competitive teams, and the fans still have the opportunity to enjoy the drivers, it would be a win-win solution for everyone.

"I told Bill (Elliott) it would be neat if two or three of us got together, and we had one real good team that ran all the races," Labonte says, adding that the races could perhaps be divided according to where drivers ran well. " -- I for one think that would be pretty cool. I know I would definately be pulling for a team that has three or four drivers that are all the caliber of Elliot, Labonte, and some other guys like maybe Martin, Wallace, or Schrader.