The rise of stock car racing
Posted by Nick Trott at 2:00PM on Tuesday 18 September, 2007 1 Comment
Bernie Ecclestone has got his eye on NASCAR, and no I don't mean he going to buy it. Even he doesn't have the cash for that...
No, Bernie is looking closely at NASCAR because the North American stock car series is expected to go global very soon.
And with its spectator-friendly races, brilliant TV coverage (and hence commercial clout), NASCAR could soon threaten F1 as the world's biggest motorsport.
That's if it isn't already...
Look at it this way. Juan-Pablo Montoya defecting from F1 to NASCAR has introduced the stock car series to the massive Latin American market, and they love it.
With former F1 champ Jacques Villeneuve and current IRL champion (and Scot) Dario Franchitti heading for NASCAR next year, there's an international flavour developing in what has been a strictly North American race series since the sport began on the dirt tracks of North Carolina over 60 years ago.
But what's really interesting is that Bernie has given approval for the Middle East-based 'Speedcar' stock car series (read news) to support two F1 rounds next year.
"It seems that motorsport is really becoming a reality in Asia and the Middle East, and I would like to think this is due to the popularity of Formula One. The new Speedcar series will consequently add even more interest," said Bernie earlier this year.
Smart bloke. If you can't beat NASCAR, at least join the rise of the stock car phenomenon by supporting a rival series. And that's what Mr Ecclestone is, discreetly, doing...
It might also keep a few quid in the F1 'family' too...
Nick Trott
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I don't think many Europeans or even Latin Americans or Asians will dig NASCAR-style races. The above comment exemplifies this. Racing low-tech machinery on an oval track with dozens of safety car sessions per race only works because of two elements: live action and a good dose of patriotism.
While it is obvious that patriotism doesn't work very well internationally, the live action doesn't either. By live action, I mean visiting the races at a nearby spectator-friendly track to have high-speed action right in front of your nose. With 40 races per year this can be brought to most of the densely populated areas in the US, but globally, it doesn't work.
F1 is criticised for being too clinical, where mainly the car's abilities decide the race and I can't disagree completely. But driver racing with paint-trading is also established in Europe with WTCC and DTM. So who will get into Nascar?