Thomas Chemris

“Don’t count Darlington out”. Responded NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter when asked about the legendary track loosing one of its race dates. Hunter, who served several years as track president admits he is biased, but there is no doubt that having one of the most exciting finishes cap off the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 certainly may have removed the death nail from the spring event. However, looming questions of schedule changes still hang over NASCAR’S premier series.

Ten years ago, the consideration of having to realign the schedule in Winston Cup would have been all but unthinkable. Several key events have occurred that have taken NASCAR from a regional sport to national phenomena.

NASCAR’S “overnight” sensation can be directly traced to key business and marketing decisions, and the series benefiting from the self-destructive nature of other sanctioning bodies.

In March of 1994, Tony George announced he would start a new open wheel racing series that would include the Indianapolis 500 in 1996.

At the time, the dominant racing league in the United States was the PPG CART series. The now infamous split between CART, and Tony Georges’ IRL, left the door open for NASCAR. Many find it hard believe that not too long ago, open wheel events were regularly sold out, and open grandstands at NASCAR events were the norm.

In a sport where timing is everything, fledging cable networks like TNN and the already established ESPN were eager to broadcast the series, dividing time with CBS and other major networks. A NASCAR fan with cable access was guaranteed to see the entire season, thus generating a building of a fan base beyond the sports southern origins.

Contributing to the momentum, was the influx of mainstream corporate American, with brand name sponsors signing on to an area that once exclusively belonged to automotive related products.

The corporate tie in to the sport became the fuel that powered the high velocity growth of the series. Driver marketing, led by Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon saw drivers names commanding top endorsements, being mentioned in the same category as Michael Jordan as some of the most sought after spokesmen. With this newfound popularity, owning a track with a NASCAR event become a largely sought after commodity.

International Speedway Corporation (ISC), and Speedway Motorsports (SMS), the undisputable powerhouses in this real life game of monopoly began buying up tracks and building up their current holdings. All this as the sport was growing into geographic regions and market shares that at one time were not even a consideration. Since 1994 NASCAR has established events in Indianapolis, California, Texas, Chicago, New Hampshire, Kansas City, Miami Florida, and Las Vegas.

The competition to secure dates has become fierce and litigious. The two main players, ISC and SMS are corporate surnames for the long running battle between Bruton Smith (SMS) and the France family (ISC) (founders and owners of NASCAR). A battle that dates back to the early 1950’s as the two competed for driving talent in there respective leagues, with the France family winning out, but the battle was long from over.

When Smith built his speedway in Texas, he secured the date by purchasing the now closed North Wilkesboro Speedway with New Hampshire owner Bob Bahre. Each claiming a respective date. Smith then began a campaign to secure a second date for Texas, claiming he had a verbal promise from the France family. A statement the France organization adamantly denies.

Last year, a shareholder in SMS named Frances Ferko filed a class action suit on behalf on the SMS shareholders against NASCAR claiming there failure to provide a second date has impacted stock prices.

The Ferko lawsuit attempts to declare NASCAR a monopoly in violation of anti trust laws.

Arguably, with the IRL, and other racing series racing at SMS venues, it is a weak dispute, but non the less could at minimum force NASCAR to reveal long held secret financial information about the series.

Not directly related, but just coincidental timing, NASCAR chairman Bill France announced at Daytona (2003), that if any of the organizations who own race tracks wanted to move an event from one track to another “NASCAR would look favorably upon that action”.

The translation is simple, if SMS wants a second date at Texas, go ahead and ask to move and event from one of the other facilities they own and manage.

This could be seen by a peace offering to Smith.

Many observers speculate that ISC would set an example by moving dates from one of its track. The two tracks that most frequently come up as an example are the spring races at Rockingham and Darlington. Both tracks hold rich heritage, and are located in a similar geographic proximity, and in effect compete with each other for the same fan base. A fan base that is already established in a sport that is aggressive in breaking into new markets.

The Ferko lawsuit is not the only motivation to make changes. Surely NASCAR wouldn’t give up a Darlington race just to give Smith his coveted second Texas date?

In December of 1999, NASCAR President Mike Helton launched NASCAR 2000, a state of the sport presentation in which he announced a billion dollar television package. At the time he made it clear that NASCAR was not content being the number two sport in the United States.

With the new TV deal, NASCAR continues to grow at a pace not previously experienced by any other industry. Becoming the number one sport will require NASCAR to go right at the National Football league for competing fans. A move that may be preempted as the series moves towards more fall Saturday night races that will not force fans to choose between the race and a Sunday game.

With such bold and aggressive marketing, the fate of many long established tracks like Darlington, Rockingham and Martinsville are risk for extinction. The problem is really not what it seems. It is not the old vs. new argument. Anyone who watched the races at Darlington would not dispute the quality of competition is unparalleled.

But each track in the series holds the same potential. Whether or not Darlington looses a date is really not the issue. The issue is how long it will take for NASCAR fans can accept and adapt to the rapid changes in the sport.

The Changes have everything to do with location and market share, and nothing to do with tradition. A National phenomenon cannot hold a majority of its events in a thousand mile radius of North Carolina and fully expect to cultivate the fan base it desires.

NASCAR knows what it is doing. It has taken to the sport to levels never even imagined, and under its currently leadership will continue to grow. Don’t count Darlington out, but don’t count on it. The sport as we know it is changing. No different than the idea of moving the races off the beach in Daytona in 1959 must have ruffled a few feathers, but almost half a century later it is now considered brilliant and forward thinking.

The legacy of NASCAR will not rest in the loss of one race date, but in its designation as the Number one sport in the County.