NASCAR’s good week takes a bad turn
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2018 16:25:39 +0000
BY KEN WILLIS
W ell, that didn’t last long.
During what looks like a transitional time for NASCAR, a couple of items this past week provided some promotional tailwinds that might mean nothing or a whole lot, depending what eventually gusts into reality.
First, there was the rumor that John Henry, one of the biggest names in the sports-mogul game, is interested in buying into NASCAR ownership. Henry’s Fenway Sports Group owns the Boston Red Sox and since 2007 has been co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing, so if he’s indeed bullish on the future of auto racing, that’s good news.
Shortly thereafter, one of NASCAR’s long-ago playing fields — Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville — was suddenly back in play. Maybe.
Bruton Smith’s Charlotte-based Speedway Motorsports, now run by Bruton’s son Marcus, has formed a partnership with the Fairgrounds track operator. The obvious goal is a return of NASCAR racing — preferably at the Cup Series level — back to the ancient speedway, which last had a Cup race in 1984 and last had other NASCAR races (Trucks and Busch Series) in 2000.
In 2001, a sparkling new track opened outside Nashville, and it opened at a time when NASCAR was banking heavily on sparkling and new. The Nashville Superspeedway, 30 miles outside Music City, hosted races from 2001-2011 and is now closed.
Talk about your symbolism. NASCAR returning to one of yesteryear’s coliseums, as its one-time replacement gathers moss nearby, would probably warm the hearts of so many graybeards who want to yell, “I told you so!”
Chase Elliott and Junior Earnhardt were among those who immediately jumped atop the Twitter stump to trumpet the possibilities. The skies were brightening.
Then came Friday, and news that the FBI raided the California home of Jeff and Paulette Carpoff, owners of DC Solar Solutions, which has become a major player in the mobile solar generator and light tower world.
DC Solar in recent years has also become a mover and shaker in NASCAR, sponsoring cars and events. It sponsors an Xfinity and Cup Series team for Chip Ganassi Racing, and is title sponsor for Xfinity Series races at Phoenix and Las Vegas.
In a statement, the Ganassi team said, “We are aware of the situation with DC Solar and are monitoring it closely.” Yeah, I bet they are.
DC Solar’s attorney suggests the raid is the result of an “ongoing tax dispute.” Well, we all know who generally wins those arguments.
In a new era of team-sponsor relations, with willing benefactors no longer crowding the front porch, the last thing anyone needed to see were the letters F, B and I.
The Picks
It’s hard to imagine anyone clamoring for such a thing right now, given all the holiday fuss, but if so inclined, you can start watching college football Saturday at noon and, roughly 14 hours later, blow out the candles and tuck in.
Among the Saturday games is an American Conference vs. ACC matchup that should draw indirect UCF Knights interest. UCF’s American Conference resides on the wrong side of the tracks, as evidenced by the College Football Playoff Committee rankings, so any time an American team takes on a Power 5 school, you should pay attention — Memphis over Wake Forest in the Birmingham Bowl.
–Elsewhere in the coming week, Army beats Houston (Armed Forces); Boise by 6 over Boston College (First Responder); Georgia Tech over Minnesota (Quick Lane); TCU beats Cal (Cheez-It); Wisconsin in OT over Miami (Pinstripe); Auburn beats Purdue (Music City); Washington State big over Iowa State (Alamo); and Syracuse by 3 over W. Virginia (Camping World).
TNS
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