A class action suit claiming antitrust and price-fixing
violations against NASCAR, three public companies and
numerous vendors, "could be a watershed event for all major-
league sports," according to Steve Mayer in SPEED SPORT
NEWS. The suit, filed last month in Atlanta, alleges that
since '91, fans "have been overcharged for merchandise" at
Winston Cup races. Other parties named include
International Speedway Corp. and Penske Motorsports.
Estimates of the size of the class range "as high as 5
million fans, portending actual damages of $100 million to
$500 million," which could be trebled under the Clayton
Antitrust Act. The suit's implications can be "wide-
ranging," as "virtually any race track which leases space
upon a percent-of-gross-sales basis" to vendors can be
ordered into the suit. Mayer notes the suit could be "the
model by which similar actions could be brought against"
MLB, the NBA, NFL and NHL (NSSN, 4/9 issue).
THUNDERSTRUCK: Several hundred people "turned out in
force" Wednesday for the opening of a NASCAR Thunder store
in Cincinnati, according to Tom Groeschen. The store is the
fifth NASCAR retail outlet. NASCAR Thunder VP/GM Larry
Painter: "We have been trying to target the non-traditional
NASCAR cities, like Cincinnati" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/17).
