CONCORD, N.C. — Welcome to the 2008 version of the Lowe’s Motor Speedway Media Tour, heretofore known as the War Between the Media.

With over 200 media types in attendance, tempers usually flare between print and broadcast members, each wanting to get their few questions into Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, etc. With day one half over, there have been no flare ups ... yet.

The biggest item among us print types was the conspicous absence of three of the pillars of NASCAR coverage in the sport’s first 50 years. In the past six months the Tennessean in Nashville, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Tribune Newspapers in Chicago and Orlando have elected to reduce their coverage of NASCAR. As a result, veteran sportswriters Larry Woody, who took an early retirement offer, Rick Minter and Ed Hinton are not on this year’s tour.

Not only is it sad (Woody is the absolute king of one-liners and priceless old stories of the sport’s good ol’ days), but it’s a sign that, despite what Brian France declared Monday (you’ll have to read the paper to find out), the sagging economy is affecting NASCAR. The absurd cost of attending a race for fans or covering a race for newspapers is catching up to the sport, though there is little they either can or are willing to do about it.

I approached NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter about the reduced newspaper coverage and, while he said NASCAR has noticed and is concerned, nothing is in the works to try and reduce costs, specifically hotel costs (an example: low-tier motels in Bristol charge nearly $300 per night and demand a three-night minimum). I don’t know how fans do it and you can see why some media outlets are cutting back.

The Times Free Press, I was told recently by Sports Editor Jay Greeson, will continue to staff the races we have in the past two seasons, in addition to publishing our weekly NASCAR page. If, dear reader, you wish this local presence to continue past this year, let those in charge know.

As Hunter told me Monday, “What shocked me the most was Atlanta cutting back because Atlanta is NASCAR’s largest television market. You hope this doesn’t become a trend because we value each outlet that covers the sport and I know the readers do.”

Hunter also said he and some NASCAR officials a few years ago met with some hotel operators near Darlington after fans complained of the price gouging. “When asked if there wasn’t anything they could do to cut the costs, one guy looked at me and said he would do that as soon as we cut our ticket prices,” he said.

In other words, as long as people are willing to pay the price, the gouging will continue. Some, like the Tennessean and AJC, have decided they won’t.