NASCAR计划如何征服中国

[LewTheShoe]

Ha ha, sorry for that headline. The Devil made me do it. But it refers to a serious, and interesting, article describing Nascar's international aspirations. They are certainly dreaming big. I don't know enough to have a real opinion about feasibility.

Regardless of dreams about China or other overseas markets, I have believed for years that Nascar's highest priority should be to establish Cup Series races in both Canada and Mexico. Huge benefits are there for the taking... not saying it would be easy, but it would be worth it, IMO.

Here is a crazy thought... I wonder if the apparent lack of any effort being placed on racing in Montreal and Mexico City is a strategy to boost the price of the company when it is sold... leave a couple of gems for potential buyers to be excited about, hoping they will overpay for the right to exploit these international diamonds-in-the-rough. Yeah, that's crazy, but I can't think of any other reason why nothing has happened (despite ISC/SMI impediments).

Leaders in Motorsport: How Nascar plans to conquer China

For years, the domestic narrative around Nascar has centred on its dwindling event attendances, falling TV viewership and mounting sponsorship struggles. Yet the growing international ambitions of stock-car racing’s preeminent series tell an altogether different story.

Over the course of several seasons, stock-car racing’s venerable organisation has seen its average trackside attendances fall year-on-year, its domestic TV ratings and viewership decline in a much-changed media landscape, and many of its stakeholders publicly voice nagging concerns over the long-term future of a sport with an ageing, predominantly white working class fanbase.

Yet away from its southern US heartland, Nascar is most definitely on the advance. Intent on exploring new frontiers and ensuring their sport stays relevant in the digital age, Nascar’s newly restructured leadership have assumed a more internationalist mindset.

This past January, the organisation’s senior executive team refocused their overseas expansion efforts with the creation of a new international department headed up initially by Jim Cassidy, until his departure in early May, and now taken on by Gene Stefanyshyn...

“Certainly motorsports, needless to say, is a form of sports and entertainment that you find worldwide – there is no shortage of it. But there is a shortage of true stock-car racing. We firmly believe that there is a strong appetite for some further differentiation in the types of racing that people can find where they are. We’re going to find those people and introduce them to some close, side-by-side racing with some big fast cars...”

The strategic objective now is to replicate the model in other important markets – and one country in particular has long been front-of-mind. “The wider and immediate ambition is China, definitely,” Cassidy insists. “When you look at where China is from a standpoint of enthusiasm and the passion around the automobile and the growth of the automobile culture – and the growth of the motorsports culture along with it – it’s not to be ignored, and it’s something we’re not going to ignore.”

He adds: “I think there is going to be a prolonged, high level of competition across many OEMs to continue to grab that market share and that excitement and enthusiasm around the car in China. Those OEMs will require a high level of differentiation of opportunities to demonstrate their products, and we think that Nascar is a perfect fit at a perfect time for China....”

There is more, including a couple of datacharts...
http://www.sportspromedia.com/quick_fire_questions/nascar-plans-conquer-china-interview-jim-cassidy

 

[Charlie Spencer]

I wonder if the apparent lack of any effort being placed on racing in Montreal and Mexico City is a strategy to boost the price of the company ...

I suspect it's due more to the politics of prying races away from current ISC / SMI tracks.

 

[Jorge De Guzman]

They're going to conquer China by racing on Rovals with the All Star racing package.

 

[StandOnIt]

They already have the Euro Series, and were invited to China last year. It is a huge market