NASCAR's Trouble At The Track

Forbes ^ | 02.09.09 | jack gage

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The sport is suffering declines in sponsorship, attendance and financial stability, and the roots of the problem go a lot deeper than the lousy economy. Ratings are falling more rapidly than those of other sports

"It's not NASCAR's job to tell us what we can spend and how to run our business," says Richard Petty, who also sees franchising as a great way to foster fan loyalty. "The Green Bay Packers may lose their quarterback," says Petty. "That doesn't mean they lose their fans." Says Ty Norris, general manager of Michael Waltrip Racing, "Franchising is critical and should become one of the top issues for NASCAR."

Standing firmly in the way of that idea is the France family, which built NASCAR from a Southern backwater circuit into a $2 billion marketing phenomenon in two generations. The man in charge these days is Brian Z. France, the 45-year-old grandson of NASCAR founder William France Sr.

Brian France became chief executive of NASCAR in 2003 and, after the death of his father, Bill Jr., in 2007, inherited an 18.75% stake in the sanctioning body, worth perhaps $300 million. His sister Lesa France Kennedy owns another 18.75%, and his uncle James C. France 36%. Uncle Jim is also chief executive of International Speedway, the sport's biggest owner and operator of racetracks, with a profit of $135 million last year on revenue of $777 million.

Despite its good intentions, the Car of Tomorrow program got a hostile reception. Team owners saw the $100 million upfront cost (sportwide) of building all-new race cars as an unfair burden, even if it produced long-term savings by reducing the number of variations. < snip > The new cars have also infuriated many die-hard NASCAR fans because the amount of creativity and technology that makes each car different has been reduced.

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[SoDak]

I’m not even much of a casual fan of the sport, but it seems to me, just from listening to people I know who are fans that the biggest problem for NASCAR over the last few years is that in an effort to attract audiences outside of the South and rural America, they’ve alienated some of their base audience.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Yep, by trying to take NASCAR out of the South and make it more cosmopolitan, they screwed themselves.

[personalaccts]

I live in Race City USA...I agree. Watch the race in LA notice the attendance.

[Dead Corpse]

I didn't like restrictor plates, CoT is worse than stupid in my eyes.

While I agree that "stock car" racing hasn't been "stock" in decades, tossing the baby out with the bathwater entirely just kills it for me.

[GBA]

The worst thing to happen to NASCAR is Brian France. The COT might be safer, a good thing, but it removes the brand loyalty and creativity the cars of old had. Get rid of the restrictor plate. In fact, so much of NASCAR is restricted, it's as though socialism/collectivism has come to racing and taken over. Let freedom reign again and watch excitement and drama come back home.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

What a coincidence the family is named French when they made the sport so French.

Next Al will be advertising ‘NASCAR IN A BOX’.

[Lurking in Kansas]

Ditto.

[mtbrandon49]

There are several things hurting it.

Number one is they started building all these cookie cutter 1.5 mile tracks and moving races to them and away from where their base is. They could stand to build another short or intermediate track.

Number two is the sponsorship money has increased so much that not just anybody can show up and compete. The purses are so huge there isn't any fall off between positions, which leads to less incentive to race for the money. Then you have the teams that show up to fill the field and get a payday. Last place at Daytona will pay $300,000.

Number three is justifying buying a $100 dollar or better ticket. I live an hour from Martinsville. You can get a $25 ticket that you can't see the whole track from or you can pay $75 plus and get a good seat and Martinsville is one of the more affordable tracks.

Truthfully, there are 6 short tracks running within a two hour drive from my house. The price ranges from $8 to 15$ to get in and the concessions won't kill you. The racing is a lot better and if you set up half of the guys running at the local short tracks in the same equipment that the cup guys have they would smoke 90% of the guys running at Daytona this Sunday. The difference is the local guys have to find the money to bring with them to cup. Being able to get to the Cup level now doesn't mean you are the best driver. It means you are marketable.

[ohioman]

“Yep, by trying to take NASCAR out of the South and make it more cosmopolitan, they screwed themselves.”

You are exactly right. These France idiots have also chided fans for bringing Rebel Flags to events.

[SoDak]

My hopeless, brainless brother-in-law is a big NASCAR fan but applauds the idea of taking the “southern-ness” out of NASCAR. What a total twit. And a hardcore democrat, obviously.

[Travis T. OJustice]

To many sissy-boys driving, like jeff gordon. Yeah, he's very talented, but he's a sissy. Bring back guys like AJ Foyt, Cale Yarboro and the Allison's, etc.

[Travis T. OJustice]

Ping.

[taildragger]

If you are a "Fabricator" forgetaboutit.....

They are laying off.

I have a friend did that for almost 20 years for one of the big-3 and is darn good at it, and NASCAR was a natural, problem is no work their either.....

[stainlessbanner]

Lots of folks are back to the dirt tracks now. Boy-France is driving racing fans away in droves.

[Niteranger68]

"The worst thing to happen to NASCAR is Brian France."

Those 10 words explain all of NASCAR's problems. The man is a special kind of moron and those with the ability to remove him are tone-deaf.

[libertarian27]

Car of Today ~ Is Stupid

Race to the Chase ~ Is Even More Stupid

I barely watch anymore.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

bump

[Ole Okie]

in an effort to attract audiences outside of the South and rural America, they’ve alienated some of their base audience.

Right. They've forgotten where stock car racing originated, and are busily courting the northeast and northwest. Northeast and northwest don't seem to be particularly fazed by the attention.