Harvick: "Some real opportunities" in possible NASCAR sale
There are more questions than answers about NASCAR pursuing a possible sale, but Kevin Harvick believes there could be “some real opportunities” should it actually take place.
Fresh off his fourth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season, Harvick offered his thoughts about a report this week that NASCAR is exploring options of a possible sale.
Reuters first reported on Monday that NASCAR had obtained the services of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., to seek out potential buyers. NASCAR has offered no comment on the report.
“If I was looking at NASCAR and I said, 'Alright, I want to own this business, and what would I do to it?' Harvick said Tuesday night on his SiriusXM NASCAR Radio show, “Happy Hours.”
“I think the first thing I would say is there might be a possibility for some downsizing and efficiency that could be put into place to save some overhead and really kind of refine everything and hone in on certain things so that you can make those things great.”
Asked by host Matt Yocum if he were going to purchase NASCAR, what would he need to make it a viable deal, Harvick said:
“That’s the hard part about speculating on stuff like this, is what comes with it? How far does it go? Does it come with some of their race track ownership? Is it something to a private equity group that comes in and buys it and does like they did with F1 and looks to just kind of change the way it's marketed and change the way that it's structured?
“I think that would be a viable opportunity here, just from the things that we do. Is it somebody that comes in and says, ‘OK, we’re going to structure it like an actual league where everybody's kind of sharing in the TV revenue more evenly and to help the teams get where they need to be from a TV revenue standpoint so that they're not so dependent on sponsors. So that these team owners can have real franchises that are worth value that other people want to come in to buy.’
“So, I think there's some real opportunities that you could talk about, but we just don't know about the 100 percent structure.”
While the France family owns NASCAR, the vast majority of tracks utilized by NASCAR’s three national series are owned by two publicly-held companies – International Speedway Corp. and Speedway Motorsports Inc.
ISC, headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., like NASCAR, is operated in part by members of the France family – Jim France is chairman of the board while Lesa France Kennedy is CEO.
Last month, NASCAR announced it was purchasing the ARCA Racing Series in a deal that would be completed by 2020.
Previous article
Darrell Wallace Jr. to pull double duty this weekend at Kansas
Next article
NASCAR hits several teams with big penalties following Dover
About this article
| Series | NASCAR Cup |
| Drivers | Kevin Harvick |
| Teams | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| Author | Jim Utter |
From the archive: Dale Earnhardt’s final Autosport interview
The death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500 shocked NASCAR to the core. At the Daytona 24 Hours, two weeks before his fatal accident, ‘The Intimidator’ shared his expectations of challenging for an eighth Cup title with JONATHAN INGRAM, in an article first published in the 15 February 2001 issue of Autosport magazine. Little did we know then what tragedy would unfold…
The lasting NASCAR legacy after Dale Earnhardt’s death
On February 18, 2001, seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Dale Earnhardt – the fearless ‘Intimidator’ – was in his element at Daytona International Speedway. While his own DEI team’s cars ran 1-2 towards the finish line, his famed #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo was playing rear gunner to block any late runs from the chasing pack. As the cars tore through Turns 3 and 4 on that fateful final lap, Earnhardt maintained the strongarm tactics that encapsulated his persona… but his actions in those moments sadly proved to be his last.
Inspired by Pitbull, the “revolution” sweeping through NASCAR
The NASCAR Cup Series is changing. Whether it be the gradual morphing out the seasoned drivers of yesterday as the next generation step up, a radical calendar shake-up featuring more road courses than ever before and the prospect of an all-new car on the horizon, stock car racing’s highest level is nearing the end of a huge facelift.
The NASCAR storylines to watch out for in 2021
This weekend's Daytona 500 kickstarts a NASCAR Cup season that promises plenty of intrigue courtesy of new owners and a refreshed calendar. Here's what you need to know ahead of the new season…
Why Kyle Larson can't blow his big shot at redemption
From a disgraced NASCAR exile, Kyle Larson has been given a chance of redemption by the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports squad. Effectively replacing seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is no easy billing, but Larson has every intention of repaying the team's faith...
Why Roger Penske is an American motorsport icon
In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Roger Penske reveals the inner drive that has made him not only a hugely successful team owner and businessman but also the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. He spoke to David Malsher-Lopez.
Why NASCAR's latest second-generation champion is just getting started
Chase Elliott's late charge to the 2020 NASCAR Cup title defied predictions that it would be a Kevin Harvick versus Denny Hamlin showdown. While the two veterans are showing no signs of slowing down, Elliott's triumph was a window into NASCAR's future…
Why Kyle Larson deserves his second chance in a cancel culture
“You can’t hear me? Hey n*****” Those fateful words uttered by Kyle Larson, spoken into his esports headset on April 12, were directed at his sim racing spotter – but instead they quickly became amplified around the world via social media, including his own Twitch stream.
