NASCAR recently brought a modified Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the world-famous 24-hour race to demonstrate a high-powered stock car to a European audience. The initiative was the brainchild of NASCAR President Jim France, who wished to honour his father Bill Sr, the man who first introduced NASCAR machinery to Le Mans in 1976. Former Formula One World Champion Jenson Button believes that the enthusiastic response of the massive crowd at Le Mans proves that NASCAR could build a following in Europe if it brought its American stars across the Atlantic in their Cup cars.
Button’s Views
Button believes that NASCAR needs to find a way to make European fans understand the personalities within the sport, as much as enjoying the racing. He thinks that it could be big, and doing a race in Europe next year would be great. He suggested that NASCAR could work with a World Endurance Championship event in Europe to ensure a racing audience that might appreciate its American-style racing. Button thinks that a behind-the-scenes, Drive to Survive-style TV show would help a European audience get to know the drivers and teams in NASCAR, to help them appreciate what it’s about. He also suggested that more crossovers of international drivers trying NASCAR would be helpful in growing its audience outside of North America.
In NASCAR, stock car racing series are sanctioned in Europe, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil with lesser-specification machinery. NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series has raced at F1 tracks in Mexico City (2005-08) and Montreal (from 2007-12), and its Cup championship ran two exhibition races at Suzuka in the mid-1990s. Button thinks that NASCAR could build an audience in Europe if it brought its American stars across the Atlantic in their Cup cars. He saw so many memes and it went crazy on social media. It could be easily forgotten, so he thinks it needs to be jumped on as soon as possible.
Button thinks that understanding the personalities that are in the sport is something that European fans would want to know. Just seeing 39 cars go around is great, but if you don’t know who’s behind the wheel, you have no one to really support – unless you just like the colour of the car. Button also thinks that more drivers from the endurance world or F1 come in and have a taste of NASCAR would help build its audience outside of North America. He never thought it’d be as competitive as it is and he knew ovals would be something different all together, but he didn’t think the drivers would be so good on street courses and road courses.
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