Sunday, October 29, 2000
Auto Racing Insider
NASCAR pleased by Fox's promotion
NASCAR officials have been concerned about declining TV ratings in 2000, but they had to like the World Series.
Sort of.
The Fox network used the World Series to promote its new Winston Cup racing coverage for 2001. Between innings, you sometimes saw top drivers promoting next year's races.
But did anyone see it? Fox's World Series ratings were watched an an average of 12.2 percent of U.S. homes, and the overall ratings were the lowest ever.
Mike Helton, NASCAR CEO, has said one cause of Winston Cup's ratings de cline was the failure of current broadcast partners (ESPN, ABC, TNN and CBS) to properly promote and display stock-car racing in 2000. Since those networks knew they were losing the rights, the reasoning was, why bother?
The new TV deal, which includes Fox, NBC, TBS and FX, reportedly will pay NASCAR $2.4 billion over the next six years.
NASCAR ratings generally are down a few percentage points this year, after a steady climb for most of the 1990s. The move by Fox to start promoting NASCAR, some four months before the 2001 Winston season begins, has NASCAR pleased.
“It makes you feel good about your new partner,” NASCAR communications director John Griffin told the Kansas City Star.
LOCAL SCENE: Kentucky Speedway has had several Winston Cup and Busch drivers testing in recent weeks.
NASCAR rules allow Winston drivers to test as much as they want at tracks, such as Kentucky, that have no Winston race.
Winston drivers Ward Burton, Terry Labonte and Jerry Nadeau all have tested recently at Kentucky, speedway media relations director Tim Bray said.
Representatives of the Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt teams have been present, although their big-name drivers (Jeff Gordon, the Earnhardts) have not appeared.
“The Goodwrench Cup car (Earnhardt Sr.) was here, but someone else was driving it for them,” Bray said.
Last week, Busch driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. (son of the Winston driver) tested, and Winston star Tony Stewart made a sponsor appearance for the Fastrack driving school. Winston driver Joe Nemecheck is scheduled to test sometime in November.
• Steve Landrum recently clinched his third Late Model championship at Florence Speedway, with eight feature wins this year.
• Tri-State Dragway (Hamilton) has its annual Rainbow Classic scheduled for today. Eliminations begin at noon.
• Edgewater Sports Park (Cleves) will continue to run through Nov.19. The next racing is next weekend (Nov.4-5).
TRUMPED: The proposed NASCAR track in the New York City area appears dead, according to the Star Ledger of Newark, N.J.
The proposed 100,000-seat track would have been in the Meadowlands area (East Rutherford, N.J.) but reportedly would have required $400 million of taxpayer money for infrastructure.
Real estate mogul Donald Trump, who was retained to seek sites in or near New York City, said negotiations will continue with other sites in New Jersey and New York. NASCAR still wants a presence in the New York City metro area.
“It's on life support,” NASCAR official Brian France said. “We need some help.”
ON DECK: Robbie Allison, 9-year-old son of the late Winston star Davey Allison, will begin his racing career next season. Young Allison will run in the Galaxy Junior Racing League in Shelbyville, Tenn., in 2001.
NUMBERS GAME: Of the 31 Winston Cup races this year, 17 have been won by drivers 33 years old or younger. The leader is 29-year-old Tony Stewart, with five wins.
The youngest winner this year is Dale Earnhardt Jr. (26). The oldest winner is Dale Earnhardt Sr. (49).
E-mail: tgroeschen@enquirer.com
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