Original Message

The team owners and the sanctioning body are arguing over payments they will receive from a TV contract that doesn't even exist yet. The networks are watching this family feud thinking the longer this goes, the less we pay them. Tumbling TV numbers doesn't help either. The ratings were up slightly last year but they're crashing back down this year. Also, the number that gets tossed around is $20M in TV money goes to each track every time they hold a Cup race. That's all well and good except NASCAR controls about half the races so they're paying themselves about half the time. So of course they don't want the tracks to get less TV money. Like watching a train wreck, it's a mess but you can't stop watching it happen. There will be no split however. Look at all the tracks controlled by NASCAR/ISC. Those will all be off limits to any new series that goes off the reservation.