NASCAR is a global brand- The season should be as such
61NASCAR- Not just for Americans anymore
With the possibility of Kimi Raikkonen making his NASCAR debut this year, it's becoming clearer than ever that NASCAR is not an American phenomenon anymore; it is a global brand attracting worldwide interest from "major league" drivers.
The following international drivers have tested/competed in NASCAR/ARCA within the last five years (excludes Canada- proximity)
- Milka Duno
- Mika Salo
- Scott Dixon
- Juan Pablo Montoya
- Narain Karthikeyan
- Nelson Piquet Jr.
- Mattias Ekstrom
- Jarno Trulli
- Max Papis
- Jan Magussen
- Miguel Paludo
- Marcos Ambrose
I could go on further but you see my point. This isn't just for rednecks and everyone else below the Mason-Dixon line. It's become a very enticing prospect.
Making the series international
Attracting sponsors outside of the US will be key in trying to make the series international. I propose a 30 race season with nine road courses. In the season will be an nine-race International portion with two breaks in between.
1. Daytona 500
2. Auto Club Speedway
3. Martinsville
4. Bristol
week off
5. Texas
6. Atlanta
7.Darlington
8. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
9. Talladega
10. Richmond
11. Charlotte
2 weeks off
International Challenge
12. Rockingham (UK)
13. Brands Hatch (UK)
14. Jerez (SPA)
15. Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
week off
16. Nurburgring Nordschleife (GER)
17. Monza (ITA)
18. EuroSpeedway Lausitzring (GER)
19. Circuit de la Sarthe (over Le Mans weekend)
week off
20. Mount Panorama Circuit/Bathurst (AUS)
week off
Back to America
21. Indianapolis (Brickyard 400)
22. Dover
23. Bristol
24. Talladega
25. Darlington
26. Atlanta
week off
27. Michigan
28. Phoenix
29. Infineon
30. Daytona
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While you are right about the fanbase, the fact that Raikkonen is going to give NASCAR a shot brings a HUGE fan base from Europe into the mix.
Don't be surprised if Craig Lowndes and/or Mark Winterbottom (from V8 Supercar series) give it a shot within three years.
Excluding tobacco companies from sponsorship was a bad idea as well. Companies should have equal advertisement rights regardless of what they sell.
Shame that Nascar is really not watched at all in the UK, I think someone shows it live but it's at such a stupid time that most don't bother to get interested in it. European races would be needed for the European mass audience to tune it.
Raikkonen just confirmed for a limited schedule at Kyle Busch Motorsports in the truck series.
I'm happy to see a foreign interest in NASCAR, most of those drivers listed I've never heard of. Different driver backgrounds means different styles of driving in NASCAR, which they need more of. Montoya is a fine example of an aggressive, no BS style.
I'd like to see them race Internationally, but I've always wondered about transporting the cars overseas. I'm sure there are several options, and maybe even have garages over there where they can build cars from scratch?
They definitely need more than two road courses per season, although those tracks only favor a handful of NASCAR drivers. Most of the guys hate road course racing (because they are bad at it!). Maybe if NASCAR added more road courses, they could gain a larger international audience without traveling overseas?
jdavis88 Level 1 Commenter 14 months ago
Hmm.. nice idea, but probably not going to happen in my lifetime. Much more workable if they incorporated two international races each year changing them each year between Canada, Mexico, South America and Europe. Funding for these teams has been tough in recent years, and lets face it, when 90 percent of your fan base is in the US, that is probably where 90 percent of the races should be.