NASCAR series chief operating officer Steve McDonnell said in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport that they are not afraid of the growing popularity of Formula 1 in the United States.
In 2022, America’s most popular racing series switched to a new generation of cars, and for the 2023 season they were upgraded based on the experience gained; the championship regulations were also adjusted and new rules were introduced, and the calendar was supplemented with new races. According to McDonnell, these are all necessary steps to ensure a successful future for NASCAR.
Steve McDonnell: “To secure our future, we need to invest in it now. If you do not do this, you cannot guarantee further growth. We want to achieve stability at the current level and continue to grow, while developing our strengths and strengthening the position of the brightest races on the calendar. Our credo: we can race on any track and give the fans the best show.
The atmosphere around the Daytona 500 was better than previous years and international interest in NASCAR is also growing, especially in Canada and Mexico, but also in other countries. A distinctive feature of our series is a close relationship with the fans, because we have such riders that the public can identify with them. Fans love seeing recognized stars, series veterans, and young racers perform in NASCAR.
Championship ratings have remained consistently high over the past three or four years. We are not afraid of the rapid growth of Formula 1’s popularity in America, as we are pleased with the pace of our own progress. After all, we don’t just look at the American market, but at the world as a whole. For example, we recently organized a new race series in Brazil, where there is a huge army of fans.
There is also the EuroNASCAR series, which fulfills the tasks assigned to it. In the future, we want to hold competitions on the same cars and under the same rules in different regions of the world, and we are already negotiating with potential partners.
In addition, we are working with car manufacturers on an electric racing car, which will be tested in a few weeks. In addition, we are investigating the transition to biofuels, hybrid power plants and hydrogen fuel.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
