On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams speak with NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell on the eve of the Daytona 500.
The 500-mile race is both the racing circuit’s Super Bowl and its season-opening event. The trio discusses that dynamic, which is backwards from many other U.S. leagues, and whether that could change in the future.
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They also talk more broadly about this moment for NASCAR. The league has had a tumultuous few years, with an antitrust fight over its charter system that ended up in federal court and uncertainty over its media future. Those two items are both resolved, and under different leadership—commissioner Steve Phelps resigned last month—the circuit is rolling out a new car that hearkens back to the sport’s roots.
O’Donnell discusses other ways the circuit is approaching this season differently. That includes a new marketing approach. At the tracks themselves, fans can expect to see a wider variety of hospitality options and ticket prices.
The group is also looking to innovate around the look and location of its races. O’Donnell mentioned the possibility of doing a NASCAR race on ice, or on snow. More far out, he said some companies have approached NASCAR about adding an autonomous car in some capacity. The league is also looking further afield geographically—this season it is holding a street race on the Naval base in Coronado near San Diego, and is looking at other locations as far away as Europe and Brazil.
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He closes by discussing NASCAR’s approach to prediction markets—some leagues are rushing to do deals, while others have been more cautious—and the ongoing uncertainty about whether U.S. President Donald Trump will be attending the race over the weekend.
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