It would be truly naive to think that the state of NASCAR is not in some sort of flux. Drivers know it, fans know it. We at Alt_driver have even gone on a rant or two about NASCAR's inability to generate consistent attendance numbers or high TV ratings. Frankly, it's time for a change.
That's why when a report came out last month claiming that NASCAR was seeking minority investors, there was at least a small glimmer of hope that steps were being taken to restore NASCAR to its former glory.
Unfortunately, at least for the foreseeable future, NASCAR as we know it will remain woefully status quo. At least, as far CEO and Chairman Brian France is concerned.
During a Wednesday phone interview on the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio show Tradin' Paint, France shot down rumors regarding any sort of NASCAR sale.
"Look, we're focused on ruling and managing NASCAR," France said, "There's nothing to report on that. Rumors are always interesting, but they're seldom right. The France family is locked and loaded in its dedication to NASCAR.
ICYMI: "The France family is locked and loaded to #NASCAR" says @NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France on #TradinPaint pic.twitter.com/pzCJAJ36G5
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) July 25, 2018
Read More: Brian France is confident NASCAR will get news that will help maintain the sport's financial health
France, who is the grandson of late NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., discussed a number of things during the interview, one of them being whether or not he is considering the possibility of a Cup Series or Xfinity race at Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway. SPOILER ALERT: He's not.
"Probably not going to have that phone call any time soon," France said. "The schedule is pretty full. (Tony's) done a great job of running Eldora and other things he's doing in the dirt track stuff, so good for him."
NASCAR Chairman Brian France said don't expect Tony Stewart to get a call on a potential Xfinity or Cup race at his Eldora Speedway. Speaking on SiriusXM's NASCAR channel, France said: ?Probably not going to have that phone call anytime soon. The... https://t.co/0hO3UCcSGM
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 25, 2018
There's no denying that Cup Series races, or at the very least Xfinity races, at Eldora would make for a much more exciting NASCAR season, but it's understandable that working dirt races into the schedule would take careful planning and couldn't happen until 2020 at the earliest. That being said, it would have been nice for France to at least entertain the idea.
What he did entertain, though, was the aggressive style of racing that has been employed this past few weekends.
"We celebrate that," France said, referring to late contact in races that leads to wins. "We don't shy away from that. That's the difference between us and probably every other motorsports. They kind of cringe a little bit. We kind of like that. Obviously limits and we've always said that. There's no question about that. What we've seen two out of the last (four) weeks is great. We love it."
Hey, we love "it," too. Kevin Harvick securing the victory over Kyle Busch at New Hampshire courtesy of a bump-and-run made for an entertaining finish. Rowdy getting rowdy at Chicagoland was also pretty sweet.
You know what we also love though? Races that are exciting the whole way through. Not just during the last few laps.
Maybe Brian France should consider that.
Watch: Brian France literally runs off the stage after giving Martin Truex Jr. his ring