Is NASCAR For sale?
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I bid
you welcome gentle readers, and of course a warm welcome also goes out to he or
she lucky enough to have been assigned this column on this day by NASCAR. Just
pass it up the line Dear. I had ‘em at “Hello” with this one.
When
this week began, I wasn’t sure there would even be a column bearing my byline
this week. It’s one of those times that you see coming and just wish it were
already over… you know? For two days straight, I'm working between appointments
with my dog groomer, two of my people doctors and my Vet, each of which is
found in a different town. The rest of the month, the calendar shows nothing at
all. Such is life in the Georgia hills.
Because
of time constraints and my desire to keep my aged bony fingers on the pulse of
the sport, I arose with the sun this morning, decidedly not something of which
I plan to make a habit, and fired up the keyboard.
What
caught your scribe’s unsuspecting attention just yesterday (Tuesday) was a rumor,
stated almost as a fact, which said NASCAR is for sale. Now, I’m as used to the
regular garage rumors as the next person, but this one isn’t one of the “usual”
accusations of cheating or the divulging of a “secret” as to who is leaving
whom to drive for whomever next year. No, this one is startling in its
simplicity, not to mention its impact.
The
first thought that crossed my mind was “laughable”, but the more I considered
the possibility, the more I found I wasn’t laughing. Let’s just look over
exactly what has been happening right under our collective noses that we have
calmly overlooked by not doing as so often advised…“Looking at the big
picture.”
FOX and
NBC are contracted to share broadcasting duties for a duration of 10 years,
which started a year ago at the 2015 Daytona 500. Team owners have sought for
decades to acquire franchise rights that would give a team some value other
than wholesale hardware. For that same length of time, NASCAR has refused to
consider such a move, claiming that teams are merely independent contractors,
free to come and go as they like. This year, those teams enjoy a Charter
system, which grants 36 of them a guaranteed start in every race. The charters
may be bought and sold at will, with the only question being that of price.
The
drivers… those persons most visible to the public and most associated with any
team and/or sponsor, now have their own Council,
with its own elected hierarchy, to carry driver concerns, thoughts and even
advice to the powers that be. In other words, a Union, which has always been a
word not spoken in NASCAR circles.
Promoters
of every track on the circuit, regardless of ownership, have come on board in agreement
with guaranteed money percentages from both TV and gate. It would seem at first
glance that the future is so bright it will require shades. I’m reminded of a
line from a very old Red Foley song. “… and all is Hoop-da-looley
in my Renfro Valley home.”
But
upon closer inspection, is it as good as it looks, or are the changes merely
cosmetic? When one wants to get top dollar for a home, the first thing one must
do is make the home present well… fresh paint, better landscaping, and all the
things that show. All that seems to have been taken care of by NASCAR, but none
of it changes the fact that fewer and fewer “fans” are coming to the tracks or
even making the effort to turn on their TVs. Cosmetics can only do so much, and
lipstick on a pig has never been proven to work effectively.
So,
maybe it’s all for a good cause, or maybe it’s all for show as someone may
already be in the yard affixing the “For Sale” sign to a post. If a sale is
imminent, or even in the plans somewhere down the road, no one is talking about
it… yet. It would, however, go a long way to explaining something strange that
escaped the lips of Brian Z. France, the Chairman and CEO of NASCAR last week
when interviewed by FOX Sports commentator Chris Myers.
Cup Series Title Sponsor hunt:
Q. The title sponsor, Sprint, has been for Cup a tremendous ally, and it
runs out this year. Who's the next title sponsor for the Sprint Cup Series?
BRIAN FRANCE:
Several companies here as a matter of fact this weekend, a number of companies
taking a very hard look. It's a very special asset in sports. It's the only
thing you can own outright. So we have a
lot of interest, and we just want to make a good decision as we go down the
stretch and choose our next partner.
“The
only thing you can own outright?” What does that even mean gentle readers? I’ve
been mulling it over for days now, and until yesterday, it refused to make
sense to this orderly mind. Now, perhaps it makes perfect sense, when taken in
the context mentioned here today. So… is NASCAR for sale? I have no clue, but I
heard it and it seemed like a good thing to pass along for discussion and maybe
even a giggle or two.
This
scribe is flat out of time for today, so as a closeout, I’ll leave you with
that Red Foley song I mentioned earlier and something brand new from Blake
Shelton.
Welcome
back NBC! It’s been far too long and we’ve missed you!
Be well
gentle readers, and remember to keep smiling. It looks so good on you!
~PattyKay