The focus and attention towards the ongoing legal battle between NASCAR and the two teams of 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports was launched into Social Media space on Thursday. After a 90-minute back-and-forth court session between the parties in front of US District Court Judge Kenneth Bell, some deep dislike and mistrust was exposed.
While those revealing comments deserved the immediate spotlight, there is one very important aspect seemingly overlooked by all three parties throughout the process.
The fans.
Survival Dim Without Fan Support
Yes, sponsorship plays a huge part in the survival of any sport. When it comes to the business of NASCAR, the sanctioning body has its base of clients and teams have their own with a limited number supporting both.
However, those entities aren’t enough to fuel the needed funds to survive. This is where fan support becomes paramount.
Who buys the tickets, t-shirts, hats and concessions for all events on the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series schedule? Also, who purchases products from those that support their sport? Yep, the hard-working souls who turn race weekends into mini vacations and outings with family and friends with their hard earned money.
When each track sells a billboard, the hope is fans sitting in the stands will notice it and support the business. This is where the great sales line of Return on Investment (ROI) comes into play. If a business spends XX amount, they are looking to get back XXXX amount on their investment.
The track is trying to motivate people to support the billboards businesses. That theory also applies to race name entitlement of the, let’s say “Packy’s Pub 500” in all forms of advertisements leading up to the event date. During the radio and TV broadcasts, on every entry list, ticket and event merchandise, the race entitlement increases value for the named business.
Fan Loyalty is Bottom Line
It’s no secret a NASCAR fan is more likely to choose a product that supports their sport and driver. Sponsors depend on that loyalty to achieve the ROI goals when they choose to support NASCAR and/or a driver.
When you have a fan base of 75 million fans deciding to make a purchase whether it be beer, tires, overnight delivery or a vehicle, a 71% loyalty value is a great reason to support racing in some way.
While the days of one sponsor for one team and driver through an entire season are long gone, the new era of multiple companies on a uniform have become the norm. Yes, it might be tougher to keep up with the rolling Rolodex of businesses throughout the season, but a loyal fan will find a way.
Fan Reaction
When asked if they felt the NASCAR vs 23XI/FRM legal battle was disregarding them, here’s what some fans said.
Hal Lawrence is 90-years-young and has been involved in motorsports for 72 years in the Buffalo, NY area. He’s been a driver, series promoter, official and currently stills drives the pace car at Lancaster Motorplex and for the Race of Champions.
“It’s all about the money,” said the Friends of Auto Racing Hall of Fame member. “Remember that old saying, follow the money.”
Dave Alford has been around NASCAR as a track and team photographer for years.
“No,” he said. “This has/should not affect the fans at all. If anything, it’s educating the fans on the business side of NASCAR. The teams have performed, in my opinion, as expected.”
Jeffrey Anstett has been a fan for decades of NASCAR and the short track scene. His take was more of annoyance than anything.
“Just gets old as that is all they ever talk about anymore,” he shared. “You can barely even follow it. You just want everyone to get back to racing.”
Steven Hillman feels NASCAR is paying more attention to one aspect, than the other.
“The networks matter more to NASCAR than the fans,” referring to the TV Networks. “This lawsuit isn’t going to end well for either side, I don’t believe. I wish NASCAR would get back to 1 pm ET start times and longer practice.”
For Whom Does the Bell Toll
Next week, Judge Bell will make a decision based off the arguments he heard from both sides last Thursday. During the aforementioned session, he openly asked each party why they were doing certain things one way and not another.
It was as if common sense thinking was being injected from a casual observer, and not someone who buys owns a sanctioning body or race team. He also offered a very telltale premonition of how his decision could fair for everyone involved.
“Everybody is going to get hurt if this thing goes a certain way,”
Bell said on Thursday. “If either party feels certain they’re going to win, they’re wrong.”
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