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- The SI King 23 Nov 2009
  CNBC's Darren Rovell has the story on Scott Smith putting his Sports Illustrated collection on sale.
- Weis's Golden Parachute 23 Nov 2009
  CNBC's Darren Rovell follows the money and the future of Notre Dame head football coach, Charlie Weis, after another disappointing season.
- The Future of the NFL 20 Nov 2009
  Discussing the state of the game, with Tom Condon, CAA Sports and CNBC's Darren Rovell.
- Lebron's Number 13 Nov 2009
  Lebron James tells fans he will likely ditch the number 23 next year. CNBC's Darren Rovell has the story.
- The Bullet-Proof Idea? 13 Nov 2009
  Discussing bullet-proof sports equipment, with Rob Vito, Unequal Technologies president and CNBC's Darren Rovell.
- Celtics Courting Fans 11 Nov 2009
  The Boston Celtics are working hard to keep fans, with CNBC's Darren Rovell and Celtics president Rich Gotham.

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CNBC ON DIGG

What You'll See On My NASCAR Documentary Tonight

Published: Thursday, 9 Jul 2009 | 9:43 AM ET

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By: Darren Rovell
Sports Business Reporter

nascar race
cnbc.com
When it came time to do another documentary, I knew that NASCAR was going to be it.

It’s a sport with a huge fan following that is most exposed to the economic downturn.

Just think about it.

What sport expects fans to camp out days before a race?

What sport expects to pack 100,000+ into its stands on weekly basis?

What sport is most reliant on the corporate dollar?

What sport needs money from the now imploding car manufacturing business?

So here’s what you’ll see tonight on my show, “Inside Track: Refueling The Business of NASCAR.” You’ll get an all-access pass to race day. You’ll see all the behind-the-scenes movements that make NASCAR one of the greatest weekly spectacles you’ve ever seen. We get all our tough questions answered from NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France.

You’ll hear from all the sponsors who have spent millions of dollars to be on the hood of the cars in this environment and you’ll get a sneak peek at a never-before-filmed meeting of these sponsors doing business with each other. We'll tell you the amazing story of the rise of Amp Energy Drink, even though their driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., has only been in victory lane once in a year and half. We're also there when Kyle Busch comes to M&M's headquarters for a meet-and-greet with company employees.

Speaking of Busch, seen by many as NASCAR's villain, we’ll take you inside his car during the Pennzoil Burnout at the Sprint All-Star Race -- yes he did steer me into a wall! And we’ll take you inside point leader Tony Stewart’s operation in his first year as driver-owner. You’ll also hear from Stewart’s biggest fan Julie Geary, the woman who was named NASCAR’s No. 1 fan, and see the thousands of pieces of his memorabilia in her basement.

We’ll also take you inside NASCAR’s biggest challenge, the car manufacturing business, discussing the future with those who control the sports marketing budgets for these companies. We’ll also explore the drops in attendance and ratings and evaluate just how much of a challenge NASCAR will face in the coming months.

I hope you can catch “Inside Track: Refueling The Business of NASCAR.” It airs at 9 p.m. ET tonight and re-airs at 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. ET.

Tracking NASCAR Stocks