NASCAR Legislating Exclusivity?

Robin Miller reports on SpeedTV that Champ Car is accusing NASCAR of trying to sabotage a proposed race in downtown Phoenix next year in an effort to do away with all street racing in this country. And stock car racing's major sanctioning body claims nothing could be further from the truth.

"NASCAR and ISC have spent the past few weeks trying to undermine our proposed race in Phoenix and it's my understanding that NASCAR has hired 22 lobbyists to beat us up," said Kevin Kalkhoven, who co-owns Champ Car with Gerald Forsythe.

Jim Hunter, vice president of NASVAR communications said "NASCAR understands that in order to keep motorsports healthy and vibrant in North America, it is imperative that race tracks and race fans have a broad "product list" from which to choose."

However, recent comments byPhoenix International Raceway president Bryan Sperber to radio station KTAR-620 in Phoenix would suggest otherwise.
"It's a stupid Mickey Mouse, dinky-toy race," said Sperber. "Street races have proven not be successful and this thing has been developed under a cloak of darkness.

"Let's get out of this hokey street race and develop a strong relationship between NASCAR and downtown."

Comments

[Marc]

I read the article when it first popped up on Speed.

Me thinks Kalkhoven has gone off the deep end. I just don't see any advantage to NASCAR eliminating all street racing in the USA.

None of them directly compete with any NASCAR event which would be any basis behind the alledged collusion with the Mayor on NASCAR's part.

But it sure is a "nice" way to divert the current attention given the IRL and it's latest up and coming star (Marco Andretti) isn't it?