Carey believes that NASCAR would not be a natural fit alongside a series like F1getty images
Liberty Media seems "unlikely" to be a potential buyer of NASCAR based on recent comments from company execs, according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. F1 CEO & Exec Chair Chase Carey, who runs the series for Liberty, said this week during an earnings conference call, "NASCAR is a fairly different franchise for us. You look at the fan base; the regionalization of it in the U.S. is not really even a broad-based U.S. sport. Both race cars. I’m not sure beyond that there’s a lot that would really make it a natural fit for us. It would certainly give us scale in the U.S., and we could use that scale to build, but I think there probably are more differences than similarities" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 5/11).
I NEED A HERO: In Orlando, Mike Bianchi wrote NASCAR is "dying before our very eyes and the potential sale of it by the founding France family might be the only way to save it from going the way of horse racing." The France family, particularly Chair & CEO Brian France, is "essentially driving NASCAR off of a cliff." If the Frances want to "save their sport then the time has come for them to sell" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 5/10). Also in Orlando, George Diaz wrote under the header, "Will NASCAR, France Family Find Any Takers For Its Struggling Brand?" NASCAR has been "devalued, especially over the last five years," and the reasons why the France family "wants to bail on a third-generation family-owned business are multi-layered." A good bit of it "has to do with Brian France." He has "often times been aloof, absent from tracks, unavailable to the media, and strange." He has "lost many traditional fans for his constant tweaking of the playoff system." Money "drives everything of course, and it’s drying up in NASCAR" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 5/10). As part of a MOTORSPORT.com roundtable, Nick DeGroot wrote, "NASCAR is in desperate need of a shake-up and fresh ideas. I hope it happens sooner rather than later because having this cloud of doubt and rumor following the sport's direction isn't good for anyone." Tom Errington: "Now's the time to get out of NASCAR. It's an inescapable fact that TV figures are falling and attendances are down. With a looming new TV deal, it would be smart for the France's to sell while NASCAR has more value" (MOTORSPORT.com, 5/9).
PREDICTABLE RESULTS: In Charlotte, Brendan Marks notes Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch have won seven of the 11 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races so far this season, and that is "turning into an issue." Fans "want to see competition," and the '18 season is at "risk of becoming something every NASCAR fans is scared to death of" -- boring (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 5/11).
