HAMPTON, Ga. - The woman sitting in the center seat on the flight from Greensboro, N.C., to Atlanta could afford better than a coach ticket. But for Beth Ann Morganthau, it's never been about the money.
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After spending several fortunes on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in the past two years, the woman with the gregarious personality and an unwavering sense of loyalty hasn't gone away like the hundreds of other wild-eyed owners before her.
Racing has been a difficult undertaking, much harder than she expected, but she's never flinched. It's cost her more than $9 million this year to keep her promise, and that determination has caught the interest of at least three national corporations who might want to throw their own dollars at BAM Motorsports in the future.
"We knew it was going to be an endurance race," Beth Ann said shortly after her team arrived home from Monday's race at Atlanta and immediately started packing for this Sunday's race at Phoenix. "I don't think people realize just how hard this is. I know we didn't. But I made a promise we'd go the whole year, even if I had to pay for it. We're still here, and, hopefully, we'll be around a long time."
The board of directors of three companies have considered presentations by Morganthau to sponsor her Dodges next year. One board already has approved the plan and now is working up a budget. The other two companies expect to do the same.
BAM's determination was recently rewarded by Dodge Motorsports. The manufacturer said it would supply the team with technology and equipment, including use of its wind tunnel and assorted dynamometers.
A team that's gone without for so long may have enough backing to run two cars in 2004.
"A lot of people thought we were crazy when we got in the sport," said Tony Morganthau, Beth Ann's husband. "We knew we were talking about a lot of money, but we quickly learned you have to have the backing. We really didn't start on that side of it until this year. Now I think things are about to fall into place."
The Moganthaus have Ken Schrader as a driver. There is no contract between them, other than their words. That's binding enough for both sides.
Schrader now knows the future of the team depends on signing a sponsor. The search for a sponsor has been so promising that the team was told this week it would be back in 2004.
"We're kind of on hold here waiting to see what happens," Schrader said. "I'm awful proud to be driving the BAM car. I've met some good people. No matter what happens, I've enjoyed this relationship. I hope they aren't going to (fire) me yet."
Start-up teams rarely succeed on the Winston Cup Series level because it's too easy to throw a lot of money into it before you ever get to the track. The trail of flash-in-the-pan operations is long and undistinguished in the sport, but only a handful have had the resources - financial and emotional - to sustain the difficult early years.
"It took us a year to weed out the people who weren't a lot of help and end up with the people we have now," Tony Morganthau said. "You don't know if you're getting the right people, the right information when you start. The key is to figure it out before you go broke."
The Morganthaus decided two years ago to put every dime into the race team. That's why they fly coach. "Besides," Beth Ann Morganthau said, "I like the people back there."
Racing's good ol' boy network hasn't been as quick to warm up to people who bring enthusiasm - and honesty - into the garage area. Beth Ann Morganthau loves talking with people, and she often spends racing weekends walking around the garage area introducing herself to everyone. She met car owner Richard Childress earlier this year. She met Rick Hendrick a couple weeks ago. She's shaken hands with Richard Petty and A.J. Foyt and talked with just about everyone else. Her favorite people are the truck drivers, she said, because "they're genuine people."
"There are some who've never said a word to me," she said. "There's one (car owner) who kind of sneers at me every time I walk by. I can tell you, most of the big guys who are car owners respect what we're trying to do, and that's good enough for me."
The team has two top-10 finishes this year and was three laps away from posting its first top-five finish two weeks ago at Martinsville, Va., when Schrader pulled off the track with a flat tire.
"We've got a car over at Dodge right now and we're getting information we've never had before," Tony Morganthau said. "People are starting to notice us. I think we'll have the sponsorship thing worked out real soon and we can start getting ready for 2004. If we win a race or a championship some day, that will be gravy."
And once the team signs a sponsor, will it change the way the Morganthaus travel from their home in Hialeah, Fla., to the race?
"No," Beth Ann Morganthau said. "Coach class is fine with us. No sense in wasting money."
