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Prost to give NASCAR a try?
Former F1 champ and team owner Alain Prost considering "low cost" of Winston Cup in future plans
By Tony Johns
Dec 29, 2002, 07:57 PST
4-time World Champion Alain Prost (Team Prost Acer)
NASCAR fans may be very surprised indeed to hear that someone considers the Winston Cup series a bargain.
Nevertheless, one famous former racer and Formula One team owner believes that an annual budget of $10-15 million per year is a steal for a racing series with worldwide exposure and strong domestic popularity.
Britain's ITV channel, which covers Formula One racing, reports that Frenchman Alain Prost may be looking at the American NASCAR series as his next try at top-tier race team ownership.
Prost, a four time World Champion who won 51 of 199 total F1 starts in his storied career, led his own F1 team after buying out Ligier in 1997 with a modicum of success. But the enormous budgets and costs of the series -- with entry fees starting at $48 million for a full season -- drove his Prost GP team into liquidation by February of 2002.
Now, with F1 continuing on its merry way with skyrocketing competition costs and sagging popularity, Prost may be looking to US shores to get back on the racetrack as an owner.
"With a budget of 10 million dollars you can form a NASCAR team and have success. It's a formula that could tempt me," Prost recently told a Swiss magazine.
The Frenchman has also been spotted in the paddock at a handful of NASCAR events, lending further weight to rumors that racing stock cars may be in his future. Should Prost decided on a NASCAR ownership plan, he would be the first French Winston Cup owner in NASCAR history.
Prost pointed at the exorbitant costs for F1 team ownership and its declining popularity, the latter of which, Prost claims, has more to do with the series' leadership and their policies than Michael Schumacher winning nearly every race.
"Ferrari's domination which is often put forward as a reason for the fall in public interest is only an alibi," Prost claims. "Formula One is currently living in a narrow-minded way which doesn't take into account the world economic situation and particularly sponsors."
With the uncertain future of American open wheel racing, NASCAR may be Prost's best bet to stay on the world stage. The relatively low cost of NASCAR Winston Cup stock car racing appeals to Prost, and its continuing popularity and worldwide exposure may justify his investment.
Prost to give NASCAR a try?
Former F1 champ and team owner Alain Prost considering "low cost" of Winston Cup in future plans
By Tony Johns
Dec 29, 2002, 07:57 PST
4-time World Champion Alain Prost (Team Prost Acer)
NASCAR fans may be very surprised indeed to hear that someone considers the Winston Cup series a bargain.
Nevertheless, one famous former racer and Formula One team owner believes that an annual budget of $10-15 million per year is a steal for a racing series with worldwide exposure and strong domestic popularity.
Britain's ITV channel, which covers Formula One racing, reports that Frenchman Alain Prost may be looking at the American NASCAR series as his next try at top-tier race team ownership.
Prost, a four time World Champion who won 51 of 199 total F1 starts in his storied career, led his own F1 team after buying out Ligier in 1997 with a modicum of success. But the enormous budgets and costs of the series -- with entry fees starting at $48 million for a full season -- drove his Prost GP team into liquidation by February of 2002.
Now, with F1 continuing on its merry way with skyrocketing competition costs and sagging popularity, Prost may be looking to US shores to get back on the racetrack as an owner.
"With a budget of 10 million dollars you can form a NASCAR team and have success. It's a formula that could tempt me," Prost recently told a Swiss magazine.
The Frenchman has also been spotted in the paddock at a handful of NASCAR events, lending further weight to rumors that racing stock cars may be in his future. Should Prost decided on a NASCAR ownership plan, he would be the first French Winston Cup owner in NASCAR history.
Prost pointed at the exorbitant costs for F1 team ownership and its declining popularity, the latter of which, Prost claims, has more to do with the series' leadership and their policies than Michael Schumacher winning nearly every race.
"Ferrari's domination which is often put forward as a reason for the fall in public interest is only an alibi," Prost claims. "Formula One is currently living in a narrow-minded way which doesn't take into account the world economic situation and particularly sponsors."
With the uncertain future of American open wheel racing, NASCAR may be Prost's best bet to stay on the world stage. The relatively low cost of NASCAR Winston Cup stock car racing appeals to Prost, and its continuing popularity and worldwide exposure may justify his investment.
