More evidence of NASCAR’s global aspirations

UPDATE #2 NASCAR is seeking to expand in China and western Europe by marrying its licensing, sponsorship and media expertise with local partners. "We're sizing it up," Brian France, NASCAR's chairman and chief executive, said in an interview with the Financial Times. "We have a couple of people who are looking at that carefully." NASCAR compares opportunities in China to those in the US in the late 1940s when stock-car racing began to take hold. The Formula One group has staged an annual Grand Prix in Shanghai since 2004. But NASCAR believes that Chinese consumers are likely to identify with racing cars that look more like passenger vehicles. "NASCAR appeals to the mass market," said Robbie Weiss, NASCAR's international director. "Our fan is the football fan." See more at MSNBC and the Financial Times

10/28/06 Can't say we didn't tell you so. This website is a preview as to what the Jochen Mass NASCAR series will be called and where it will race using hand-me-down NASCAR cars from the USA. USA, Mexico, Canada and now Europe, NASCAR is taking their brand of racing global.

08/28/06 Look for NASCAR to soon announce a NASCAR Europe Series headed up by Jochen Mass. Recall long ago we predicted NASCAR was out to rule the world. Recent expansion has been to Mexico, then Canada in 2007 and Europe in 2008. Rest assured of one thing, when NASCAR tries to do business in Europe, in Bernie's backyard, they stand to get their knuckles slapped, and hard. Bernie will not stand for NASCAR trying to make inroads into his turf knowing how wealthy the France family is.