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 .
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.
Questions? Comments? SportsBiz@cnbc.com