Brian France Addresses NASCAR Media For First Time Since May

Brian France addressed the NASCAR media in a full question-and-answer session for the first time since May on Sunday at Kansas Speedway, telling reporters he was happy with how this season has unfolded so far.

France said NASCAR’s decision to implement a wild card and the new, simpler points system were positives and have had “a really big impact.”

Other topics the NASCAR chairman addressed included:

• There is a positive in the bad economic conditions. France noted “if a team or two doesn’t elect to compete next year,” it gives other teams an opportunity to move up into the Cup series. “I hope everybody comes back and everybody gets what they need to compete, but if the economy is difficult, it does allow opportunities for others,” he said. “That’s, I guess, the only silver lining in it.”

• Despite the impending closure of several teams, the Truck Series remains “very viable.” France said the Truck Series has been affected by the economy – as every motorsports series has – but NASCAR has done much to take the cost out of fielding a truck over the last three years. He mentioned the series was a “franchise” for Speed.

• NASCAR has no plans to address the abundance of fuel-mileage races this season. “That’s part of the strategy, it’s part of the game and it’s part of the racing,” he said. “We’re not going to be trying to overregulate that.”

• NASCAR is currently re-negotiating with Cup series sponsor Sprint. “It’s a program that’s worked extremely well for them,” France said. “...You obviously want to extend the relationship if you can.”

• NASCAR could race at the new Formula One track being built in Austin someday. France referenced the Circuit of the Americas as a possibility to host some form of NASCAR road racing – though perhaps just Grand-Am. “When you look at how these events play out at Sears Point, Watkins Glen, by all accounts there’s not a better road course show in this country, for sure,” France said.

• The Nationwide Series is likely to return to Montreal next season. The event had been threatened by financial concerns. “It’s a very popular event, does very well,” he said. “My hope is we’ll continue to be there.”

• The upcoming repave at Kansas will be designed to create more side-by-side racing. “They really want to improve the racing,” he said. “...That will be the goal, I’m sure, when the track gets down into doing just that.”

• NASCAR’s TV ratings are up “20something percent” in the younger demographics. France said the increase in that particular demographic is “frankly right where we would really want it to be.”