Welcome to the Jalopnik Weekend Motorsports Roundup, where we let you know what's going on in the world of racing, where you can see it, and where you can talk about it all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend?
Racing is probably one of the most expensive sports you could ever pursue. At the professional level, need to pay for fuel, tires, pit crew salaries, tools, parts, the costs of on-site medical staff, entry fees for the race itself, and a million other things that you would probably never think of. But obviously, it all costs a lot of money.
And any racer will tell you that sponsorship is necessary for racing. Even a man so ridiculously loaded that he walks around in nothing but suits made out of $1,000 bills, no, not $100 bills, $1,000 bills, the ones with Grover Cleveland on them, will tell you that sponsorship is necessary for racing. You need to please those sponsors, make them happy, so they will continue to just shower you with all sorts of cash in the desperate hope that you will be able to keep on racing and not go personally bankrupt in the process.
It's not just expensive for the drivers, it's also expensive for the organizers. You try essentially renting out a massive race track, filling all those seats, making money off concessions, and generally not getting anyone killed without going bankrupt as well.
It's difficult, is what I'm saying.
So I totally get it when anyone involved in racing tries to make a little cash on the side. Making up a new name for a race, or having your money guy's logo plastered everywhere makes sense.
But this week's NASCAR races are just awkward, cumbersome, and inadvertently amusing.
For the record, you've got a Sprint Cup and a Nationwide race, both in Arizona. You can just say "Arizona," or "Phoenix," and people will generally know what you're saying.
But I defy you to include the full names of the races in normal conversation.
As always, let us know about anything we missed, or about good livestreams out there, in the comments.
NASCAR Sprint Cup The Profit On CNBC 500, Presented By Small Business Fueling America, Yes, That Is Its Actual Name, And You Will Hear It Be Referred To That Many Many Times Practice
Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, AZ
11 AM Saturday on FS1
NASCAR Nationwide Series Blue Jeans Go Green 200 Presented By Cotton, The Fabric Of Our Lives, Alright, This Crappy Name Is Almost Definitely Even Worse Qualifying
Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, AZ
12 PM Saturday on FS1
NASCAR Sprint Cup The Profit On CNBC 500, Presented By Small Business Fueling America Final Practice
Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, AZ
2 PM Saturday on FS1
NASCAR Nationwide Series Blue Jeans Go Green 200 Presented By Cotton, The Fabric Of Our Lives
Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, AZ
3:30 PM Saturday on ABC
AMA Supercross, Round 9
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana
7:30 PM Saturday on FS1
NASCAR Sprint Cup The Profit On CNBC 500, Presented By Small Business Fueling America
Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, AZ
2:30 PM Sunday on FOX
Weekend Motorsports Roundup, March 1-2, 2014