[simple simon]

1. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France sounds more and more like a guy with "horse sense." And, that's the way NASCAR founder "Big Bill" France described son Bill Jr. when he took over at the start of the modern era in 1972. Each of the ruling Frances may have had a distinct way of doing things. But having worked with all three, it's clear they come from the same line.


2. Brian France evidently has figured out that he can't make more money doing anything else. Perhaps he's looked at the next best alternative -- a bi-coastal lifestyle between Daytona Beach and Los Angeles. That's the word on the street. I believe him when Brian says he's as committed as his uncle Jim and sister Lesa to NASCAR's future.


3. The rumors about discussions on the sale of NASCAR are true. People have approached the France family in the wake of the death of Bill France Jr. These same people have consulted various parts of the racing community as well, which is how the story emerged, perhaps by design.


4. The best bet on where these approaches came from? Media companies looking to own content, just as some currently own baseball teams.


5. How far did they get? Not to any meeting, says Brian France. Like his sister and uncle, he's probably interested to know how NASCAR is priced by the business world at large, even if NASCAR's not for sale. The pricing might be a measure of how well the re-alignment of tracks is working and the mark-to-book value of Nextel/Sprint Cup dates. The France family's International Speedway Corporation, of course, owns the majority of those dates.


6. When Rome fell, people were trying to get out. That seems to fit American open-wheel racing these days. That's not a knock on open-wheel racing, just it's management.


7. When talking about the alienation of longtime NASCAR fans being important issue for him to address, I suspect Brian France is giving that priority lip service. The alienation is an inevitable result of changes bequeathed to him by Bill France Jr., who continues to rule, even in death.


8. The TV ratings system is going to change more than NASCAR or its network affiliates in the coming years, as will judging the value of how advertising dollars are spent. In other words, young people follow sports differently and a lot of older people have given up on the new presentation(s).


9. The new points system in the Chase has done it's job by forcing great drivers like Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth to switch their game to edgy aggression in place of smooth operation.


10. The NFL is to Brian France and his family what Jimmie Johnson was to Gordon during this year's Chase for the Championship. Easy to see, harder to catch, ne'r impossible to pass.

Jonathan Ingram can be reached at jonathan@jingrambooks.com

Commentary News: Monday Morning Crew Chief

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by simple simon

6. When Rome fell, people were trying to get out. That seems to fit American open-wheel racing these days. That's not a knock on open-wheel racing, just it's management.

indeed ..... the open wheel series are managed so poorly they could fold if things dont change

[DOF_power]

Champ Car seems to be almost dead.
IRL, how long will it survive ?!
F1, nope it won't go down, but it will continue its transformation from Grand Prix racing to a corporate business, depleted of it was once its essence, just like NASCAR.

[Bob Tanner]

Jonathan gives us some interesting synopsis', doesn't he?

Originally Posted by simple simon

1. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France sounds more and more like a guy with "horse sense." And, that's the way NASCAR founder "Big Bill" France described son Bill Jr. when he took over at the start of the modern era in 1972. Each of the ruling Frances may have had a distinct way of doing things. But having worked with all three, it's clear they come from the same line.

I'd say Brian doesn't have as much "Horse sense" as he has "1990's and 21st Century Business Sense." He's all about the "Short-term bottom line gain and let someone else down the road worry about the effects of unintended consequences." Brian is given waay too much credit from his administrative expertise. Remember, the Playoff WAS NOT his idea, no more than NAFTA was Slick's idea. It just was implemented under his watch. Brian's big accomplishment so far was his negotiating the present TV contract and that just underlines my above statement about "Short term bottom line gains..."

Originally Posted by simple simon

2. Brian France evidently has figured out that he can't make more money doing anything else. Perhaps he's looked at the next best alternative -- a bi-coastal lifestyle between Daytona Beach and Los Angeles. That's the word on the street. I believe him when Brian says he's as committed as his uncle Jim and sister Lesa to NASCAR's future.

Brian already spend more time in "Arriba mexico," a.k.a. California, than he does in the southeast. I see him as being a convenient spokesman for NA__AR but basically just living rather highly off the family largess.

I spend Thanksgiving with some knowledgeable folks up in Indianapolis (just got in this a.m.) and there is an interesting rumor circulating about Lesa Kennedy France. Keep that name in your memory banks; you might be hearing more from her in the next eighteen months.

Originally Posted by simple simon

3. The rumors about discussions on the sale of NASCAR are true. People have approached the France family in the wake of the death of Bill France Jr. These same people have consulted various parts of the racing community as well, which is how the story emerged, perhaps by design.

I also believe this. But I think any discussions were done because The Family France wanted to access their value in the world market, just like a home owner periodically gets his home reappraised by a realtor.

Originally Posted by simple simon

4. The best bet on where these approaches came from? Media companies looking to own content, just as some currently own baseball teams.

Possible. I never considered this angle. Naaw. I don't buy this postulate.

Originally Posted by simple simon

5. How far did they get? Not to any meeting, says Brian France. Like his sister and uncle, he's probably interested to know how NASCAR is priced by the business world at large, even if NASCAR's not for sale. The pricing might be a measure of how well the re-alignment of tracks is working and the mark-to-book value of Nextel/Sprint Cup dates. The France family's International Speedway Corporation, of course, owns the majority of those dates.

See response to #3

Originally Posted by simple simon

6. When Rome fell, people were trying to get out. That seems to fit American open-wheel racing these days. That's not a knock on open-wheel racing, just it's management.

The drivers will converge where the competition and the money intersect.

Originally Posted by simple simon

7. When talking about the alienation of longtime NASCAR fans being important issue for him to address, I suspect Brian France is giving that priority lip service. The alienation is an inevitable result of changes bequeathed to him by Bill France Jr., who continues to rule, even in death.

Truer words were never spoken. It will be another half decade before the vestiges of Bill Jr.'s view of NA__AR are obliterated.

Originally Posted by simple simon

8. The TV ratings system is going to change more than NASCAR or its network affiliates in the coming years, as will judging the value of how advertising dollars are spent. In other words, young people follow sports differently and a lot of older people have given up on the new presentation(s).

Unfortunately more very true words. Jonathan has the same view of NA__AR fandom as do I; two completely different animals; race fans and driver fans. He just articulated it better.

Originally Posted by simple simon

9. The new points system in the Chase has done it's job by forcing great drivers like Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth to switch their game to edgy aggression in place of smooth operation.

Disagree. It's just made two seasons out of one. I don't have a major problem with it, though I like the old system better. But they HAVE TO GET RID OF THE PRESENT CONFUSING WAY OF MAKING WINS MORE IMPORTANT. This giving ten points to only the playoff players and that long after the race which they won is over is just... insane!

Originally Posted by simple simon

10. The NFL is to Brian France and his family what Jimmie Johnson was to Gordon during this year's Chase for the Championship. Easy to see, harder to catch, ne'r impossible to pass.

I like Jonathan's metaphor. Good analogy. More true words.