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The Charlotte Observer’s Jim Utter reported earlier in the week about the potential exit of Miccosukee from NASCAR. The Florida Indian Tribe was set to sponsor a truck for Kyle Busch Motorsports and Nationwide and Cup Series teams for Phoenix Racing.

For Kyle Busch Motorsports, the potential move by the tribe would certainly cause headaches. In their first year of NASCAR competition having a sponsor pull out this close to the start of the season is nothing short of irritating. That said they can sustain and have said they will run the season regardless of what the tribe decides to do.

For the other team caught in what could be a bad situation, things are a little more dire.

Miccosukee entered NASCAR with James Finch’s Phoenix Racing and Geoff Bodine in 2002. In recent years the tribe’s sponsorship has been vital to Phoenix’s operation.

With that sponsorship and hard work they managed to have a good 2009. Through several drivers they performed pretty well in the Nationwide Series, including a win at Charlotte, and they scored their first and only Cup win and some solid finishes with Brad Keselowski.

In 2010 the team is planning to run the #09 Cup car with Aric Almirola and a full-time Nationwide schedule with James Buescher. Those plans though are now likely in flux.

For James Finch and Phoenix Racing, and for that matter Aric Almirola and James Buescher, this really is very unfortunate should it come to fruition. Sure Finch has done some starting and parking in the Cup Series, but when he’s been able to, the teams have run.

As with most things, money makes the world go round. That’s especially true in NASCAR. While there is a chance if funding falls through the teams will continue (I suspect Buescher may continue), this puts them at a severe disadvantage with little time to find a replacement.

Hopefully for the sake of Phoenix Racing and all of its employees and drivers everything works out.

Rolex 24 at Daytona

We’re still about a week away from NASCAR taking the track at Daytona, but that doesn’t mean you can’t see racing sooner. The 24 Hours at Daytona starts Saturday and I know I for one can’t wait.

The 24 hour sports car race features drivers from a wide spectrum of the North American racing community. Drivers like Dario Franchitti, AJ Allmendinger, Max Angelelli, and of course Jimmie Johnson among many others will compete head-to-head in the endurance race.

Despite a field that normally spreads out pretty far, last season the event had it’s closest ever finish with the #68 Brumos Porsche team just edging out the #01 Ganassi team. Not far behind on the same lap was the other Brumos Porsche team and the Suntrust Racing team. Not too bad after 24 hours.

This year will be interesting. The Suntrust Team of Angelelli / Lamy / Taylor / Taylor are on the pole with the Michael Shank and Ganassi teams in the next four positions. Ganassi will definitely be a wild card after switching to BMW in the off-season. Check out full qualifying results here.

The racing kicks off at 3 p.m. EST on Speed and continues beginning at 7 a.m. on Speed Sunday. Check it out!

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The single biggest problem facing NASCAR teams that want to continue being NASCAR teams is the search for, acquisition of, and retention of sponsors. Without them, we don’t get to go play on the weekends. But as the economy continues to struggle, this proposition has become much more difficult.

Just this year alone we’ve lost longtime sponsors like DeWalt Tools and Jack Daniels. With more companies pulling out and the case for investment in motorsports more difficult to make, teams must find new places to look for potential sponsors and new ways to keep them happy.

One tactic some teams have employed through the years is to lure sponsors away from their competition. An example of this is Discount Tire. The national tire store chain first appeared in the NNS Series on a Chip Ganassi Racing entry; they later moved to Roush Fenway Racing. Now for 2010, Discount Tire is moving from RFR to Penske Racing with Brad Keselowski.

When a deal like this happens, often times it’s because a team promises similar exposure for a smaller investment. But in other cases, it could be the opportunity to work with a specific driver or the hopes of better performance. Either way, it can be an ugly situation.

I’ve seen some discussion over the past few days about Miccosukee moving from Billy Ballew Motorsports to Kyle Busch’s new truck team. To say that KBM stole the sponsorship from BBM or to suggest that it is somehow not right or fair for this to happen is wrong. Racing is a business and teams must do what is necessary to survive. In this instance, obviously KBM did a better job selling their team to Miccosukee, and the Indian tribe made the conscious decision to move. On the flip side, Miccosukee found better value for their money at KBM. As I see it, no blood, no foul.

The successful sponsorship formula has never really stopped changing or evolving since racers first started asking businesses for money. As we progress and move forward, expect teams to continue being creative with their marketing and sales plans. As we’ve seen in recent years the multiple sponsor approach is becoming the new standard.

Right now is as difficult a time to find sponsorship as any in the sport’s history. It’s a cutthroat atmosphere for teams and the team who can offer the most for the least is likely to come out on top.