That's not possible these days, however. It costs a lot of money to go racing today, and somebody has to pay the bills. That's where sponsors come in. Businesses spend several million dollars a year to have their name sewn onto a driver's uniform and their logo painted on the side of a billboard that moves 120 mph around the Bristol track. Rider and McCall are both perfectly nice human beings, but no company is going to write them seven-figure checks because they're good people.
Sponsors expect to see their cars make races and run for good finishes.
If they only see their logos on the sides of transporters heading out of the track on Saturday afternoon, the men who pay the bills get a little cranky. They also get a lot of attention. When things go bad for one team, the teams who are faring better sometimes go on scavenger hunts. You hire a young driver with a lot of promise but little experience. Predictably, your team struggles mightily.