Unless you’re a big NASCAR fan, you probably don’t recognize the name Jay Robinson. He’s the entrepreneur behind driver Kenny Wallace’s Nationwide series team. Robinson is an independent fiscally conservative man who’s operating in one of the most competitive and costly sports — and he makes money. How does he do it?
For Robinson, a Matthews, N.C. native, it’s a simple plan: Don’t spend more than you make.
“I never was one to want to overextend,” Robinson said. “If all I could afford to eat was a pot of beans, then I don’t want to eat a steak, I want to eat a pot of beans. I just liked to stay within what we’re capable of.”
Robinson has been smart and crafty with his resources. He bought a chassis dynomometer at a much reduced price from Robert Yates and later built his own “pull-down” rig that helps set up cars. That rig was so innovative that other teams asked him to build one for them, too.
Robinson’s shop – built on land he already owned – isn’t a palace, but it isn’t a backyard mechanic’s, either. It’s tucked away off Highway 74 southeast of Charlotte, away from most of the other teams in the sport. But Robinson probably likes it that way.
Whether you’re in racing or in government, the road to success and stability is clear: spend less than you bring in. Think there’s any lesson to be learned here?
