F1 & NASCAR: Super Best Friends?

[checkered]

First a disclaimer: This

thread is based on very speculative sources. I really don't know enough about NASCAR to comment on it seriously or specifically. Anyway, "The Mole" of grandprix.com (The Mole loses an agent (link)) seems to raise the possibility that CVC Capital Partners (link) could be interested in buying (what I must only presume is at least a commanding share of) NASCAR.

The deal would be based on the France family's situation (the ownership and management, etc.), CVC's recent tendency to spend a lot on motorsport coupled with a US expansion drive, venue and media synergies, and so on. I tried to find further information, but most of it referred to only two sources: An article in "The Cup Scene Daily" (October 30th) "Could NASCAR be for sale?" (link) and a quick rebuke by Dave Moody in his blog "The motorsports soapbox" (November 1st) "NASCAR For Sale? Separating The Facts From The Fiction" (link).

The first suggests that following leadership changes, lawsuits, a drop in TV ratings and diminishing ticket sales, an investment bank would've explored the market value of NASCAR. Moody, on his part, points out that Cup Scene got the amount of ownership and details between different France family companies wrong, suggests that the lawsuits won't affect NASCAR's margin, and that TV revenue under the current contract isn't ratings dependent.

Hardly conclusive stuff, this. When Moody asked NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston to comment, Poston simply called the suggestions "ridiculous". I don't know whether I'd like to see such a significant part of World's motorsport finances governed by a single entity. I can't imagine how NASCAR fans would react if a "foreign" company got the hold of their beloved sport. It's a fanciful idea that in Europe, NASCAR would be a sideshow for F1, and in the US vice versa.

Obviously people exploring their options, even if there are significant costs involved, means nothing. But should such a "merge" happen, it's sure to be one of the most significant developments in a long while. One wouldn't even have to tweak the series' acronyms much to come up with what could be a befitting description for the "hybrid motorsport experience" - FINANCECAR, anyone?

[coreybaxter]

Being a fan of nascar I am in no was suprised if such speculation is true. First, Nascar as a whole is more interested in sponsors, so you never get to see a lot of racing on TV. Second, the once pure american symbol that nascar was is over and it will do nothing but decline in popularity.

[DaveKillens]

In 2005, Kentucky Speedway filed a similar lawsuit against ISC and NASCAR, claiming that NASCAR violated antitrust laws by not awarding them a Nextel Cup race, noting the close relationship between NASCAR, ISC, and the France Family.[28] NASCAR sought to have the case thrown out by arguing that the speedway wasn't trying to end the alleged anticompetitive practices, they were merely trying to benefit from them as well. This motion was denied, however.[4] A motion to move the case from Kentucky to Florida – home of NASCAR and ISC – was also rejected.[29] ISC, for its part, said it shouldn't be involved in the case at all as it conducts no business in the state. Lawyers for Kentucky Speedway contended that the company does business online and is just as responsible for the lack of competition in granting the races as NASCAR is.[30]

Initially, Kentucky had wanted the jury to force NASCAR to grant the speedway a Nextel Cup event but in 2007 they changed their demand to instead force the France family to sell either NASCAR or ISC. The track is also demanding that NASCAR develop objective standards for the awarding of their race events and damages of $200 million. A trial in the case will not begin until September 2007 at the earliest.


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