Doug Boles discusses the current state of IndyCar and in this edition of the Business of Motorsport Roundup you will hear what he has to say. I also have a major motorsport legal development, NASCAR’s plans for Brazil and how F1 team sponsor deals average eight times more than NFL deals. All this and much more!
Motorsport Industry News
IndyCar
A lot of positive IndyCar news this week including IndyCar president, Doug Boles discussing the challenges and opportunities that the series is facing. Three months into his new role as IndyCar president, he explains to BlackBook Motorsport the series start to life on Fox and his vision for the continued commercial growth of the championship.
“We’re not any different than the Kentucky Derby [which] gets a massive number, and then horse racing in general people don’t pay attention except that one time a year. For us, the challenge always has been how do you get that energy and excitement around the 500 and get some percentage of those people to continue to follow the sport throughout the season?”
- IndyCar president Doug Boles on Fox’s ‘secret sauce’, treating races as events, and Mexico expansion plans (BlackBook Motorsport)
- IndyCar president Doug Boles hopeful Mexico race will be ‘announced soon’ (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Roger Penske Talks Big Indy 500 Rating, Sellout And Team Penske Moves (Forbes)
- IndyCar commits to independent officiating board for 2026 (RACER)
- IndyCar to race in Detroit until at least 2028 (BlackBook Motorsport)
Formula 1
With the ‘Madring’ due to join the Formula 1 calendar from 2026, Barcelona could be set to host its final grand prix for the foreseeable future next year – but for Spaniard Fernando Alonso, it should stay put. ““I think it’s good to have new venues. It’s good to have new countries as well that Formula 1 has moved to in the last decade. But at the same time, we need to keep some traditional circuits where the history of Formula 1 has been written and made.”
General Motorsport Industry News
Steve Phelps spoke exclusively to Motorsport.com about his recent visit to Brazil, the driver development program and the possibility of a race in São Paulo. “I don’t know when we’ll get to Brazil,” he admitted. “I’d like to see it happen. Obviously, we need all parties to come together and understand how important that would be for NASCAR in general and for the category. But I personally would be very excited about it.”
Gulf Daily News is reporting that national motorsport and mobility authorities from across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region have delivered another vote of confidence in Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s leadership of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), and urged him to seek re-election as president.
Twenty-nine FIA member clubs have written to Ben Sulayem saying that his tenure “has brought vital reforms across mobility and motorsport, marked by enhanced transparency, governance, sustainability, and inclusivity.”
BlackBook Motorsport is reporting that private equity firm EQT Partners is weighing up a UK£500 million (US$675.8 million) takeover bid for WRC Promoter, the commercial rights holder of the World Rally Championship (WRC), according to Sky News.
Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week
- Rockingham Speedway Is For Sale! (SpeedSport)
- New rich list reveals Aussie motorsport’s wealthiest (SpeedCafe)
- Netflix Puts F1 Academy in the Spotlight in New Docuseries (Boardroom)
- Indy 500 Fans Use Record Amount of Data During Sellout Race (Sportico)
- Stickers, Speed, and Sellouts: The Business of Modern Motorsports (Little Black Book)
- MotoGP accelerates global fan growth with multi-year Two Circles partnership (MotoGP)
- Mark Skaife details Perth street circuit design (SpeedCafe)
- Arctic Cat returns to snowmobile racing (Powersport Business)
- Matt Tifft Purchases Mansfield Motor Speedway (OH) (PRI)
- Infront enters Formula 1 through new sub-licensing agreement for broadcast rights across seven Balkan territories (Infront)
- Channing Tatum to star in Brad Pitt–produced Isle of Man TT film (Motorsport.com)
- India’s Biggest Motorsport Engineering Talent Hunt (Indian Motorsports Academy)
- Motorsport Australia has appointed outgoing Speedway Australia CEO Darren Tindal into a new senior role (SpeedCafe)
- “Substance, not soundbites”: How journalism can provide clarity in a noisy world (Alexandra Schieren Sports Communication)
- Inside the Logistics for Mustang Challenge Le Mans Invitational (Sportscar365)
- Porsche to Continue ‘Racing for Charity’ Initiative at Le Mans (Sportscar365)
- McLAREN Racing takes over Trafalgar Square for July fan activation (McLaren)
- How Michelin Developed its Newest Hypercar/GTP Tire Range (Sportscar365+)
- The Arnault Grand Prix & Condé Nostalgia Overload (Puck)
Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup
Hydrogen in motorsport is making progress and, in this week’s, Sustainable Motorsport Roundup you will get all the latest developments. I also have details on Formula 1’s sustainability initiatives for the European season, how rally raids are becoming more sustainable and an insane electric Mustang that will tackle Pikes Peak. All this and much more!
The Numbers
Motorsports viewership in the U.S. last weekend:
1) NASCAR Cup (Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios): 2.06 million viewers
2) F1 (ESPN): 1.2 million
3) IndyCar (FOX Sports): 1.061 million
4) NASCAR Xfinity (The CW Network) 988,000
5) NHRA (Fox): 789,000
6) NASCAR Trucks (FS1): 397,000
Source: Nielsen (via Adam Stern)
- FOX IndyCar audience cracks a million again with Detroit Grand Prix (RACER)
- ESPN scores again with Spanish GP audience (RACER)
- NASCAR viewership down in Nashville as F1 and IndyCar see YoY gains (BlackBook Motorsport)
Motorsport Law Roundup
A look at some of the legal and regulatory issues and analysis in Motorsport this week
The Fourth Circuit on Thursday wiped out an injunction allowing two NASCAR teams, including one co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan, to continue racing as chartered teams amid their widely-publicized antitrust suit against the league, finding their theory of antitrust law is unsupported by case law.
“While [23XI and Front Row allege] years of conduct and contract provisions that they claimed were anticompetitive, thus attacking NASCAR’s entire business model,” Niemeyer wrote, the two nonetheless want to compete in NASCAR Cup Series events “under the terms of the 2025 Charter Agreement” except without having to sign a release. Niemeyer questioned why 23XI Racing and Front Row want to “participate in the very business” that they seek “to dismantle.”
A Florida state court judge ruled in favor of NASCAR on defamation claims brought by the founder of the LGBCoin cryptocurrency regarding communications to journalists, saying a published statement that the meme coin was almost worthless was “undisputably true.”
Motorsport Sponsorship, Partnership News and Analysis
The latest motorsport sponsorship deals, partnerships and related analysis that were announced this week
- F1 Team Sponsor Deals Average 8X More Than NFL, Report Says (Sportico)
- F1 teams generate US$2.04bn in sponsorship revenue in 2024 (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Liberty’s F1 sponsorship revolution continues (NextGen Auto)
- Alfa Romeo Ireland announced as official sponsor of Mondello Park Bridge (Avondhu)
- Trackhouse adds first AI partner in Very Good Ventures (Sports Business Journal)
- Capturing the spirit of motorsport at Silverstone (All Things Business)
- Haulage firm Katem Logistics backs young racing driver Thomas Potter (Northern Echo)
- Kingfisher Insurance partners with Austin Healey Club (Insurance Business)
- Charlotte Tilbury Beauty provided glamour at the F1: The Academy premiere in London (Prestige)
- TVS Motor Company becomes official provider of race-tuned machines for independent teams at INMRC (The Hindu Business Line)
- RebelDot and Banca Transilvania put Romania on the Formula 1 map with Racing Bulls and McLaren deals (Romania Insider)
- Rosé-tinted spectacle – Formula 1 welcomes Whispering Angel as partner (Autosport)
- Cadillac forges sponsorship deal with Tommy Hilfiger ahead of F1 debut (Motorsport Week)
- Cadillac’s first big-name F1 sponsor deal explained (The Race)
- EchoPark Lands Entitlement Sponsorship of Atlanta Motor Speedway (Racing America)
- NASCAR’s Atlanta Motor Speedway Is No More —For Now (Forbes)
- Niece Motorsports to Highlight Partnership Impacts at Michigan International Speedway (Speedway Digest)
- Mercedes to share Adidas sponsorship with Audi (NextGen Auto)
- Sid Lee Sport leads on Tommy Hilfiger F1 Movie campaign (SIG)
- The Sponsorship Advantage: Elevating Your Brand’s Canadian Credentials (SponsorPulse)
- Lottery.com and Sports.com Boost Brand Visibility Through Strategic Expansion in IndyCar (Stock Titan)
- BRIDGESTONE, an Official Sponsor of “IMPACT Speed Fest 2025” Joins Hands with TOP SECRET THAILAND and STREET DOC, Inviting Motorsport Enthusiasts to Exhilarating Experience at the Event (PR)
The Business of Running a Race Team
RACER‘s Chris Medland looks at the impact of “unambitious” new Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber team boss Jonathan Wheatley. “I’ve said it before and nobody believes me: I’ve been largely unambitious!” Wheatley says. “Because I joined Formula 1 as a mechanic on the front end of a car at Benetton and then Michael Schumacher came along. I was only going to do a couple of years then Michael came along, so thought I’d stay a few more years.”
Team & Manufacturer News
A roundup of the latest team news from around the world of motorsport
- KTM confirms spot for MotoGP 2026 but long-term future uncertain, says CEO (KTM)
- Brown wants to ‘play offense’ with IndyCar investment (RACER)
- SHADE Racing Withdraws From Sepang After Testing Fire (Daly Sportscar)
- New Nissan CEO Reaffirms Brand’s Commitment to GT500 (SportsCar365)
- HRT Reveals Three-Car Ford Entry for N24 (SportsCar365)
- Fortec expands British F4 effort for Thruxton with GB4 duo (Formula Scout)
- GM expands Australian TA2 effort with Chevrolet Racing entry (SpeedCafe)
- Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (VCARB) Formula One™ Team Accelerates Racing Car Design with Neural Concept’s Engineering AI (PR)
- Valkyrie AMR-LMH Set To Make Le Mans Debut: One Thing That Sets It Apart From The Rest Of The Field (duPont Registry)
- 23XI and FRM likely to lose NASCAR charters after major loss in U.S. Court of Appeals (Motorsport.com)
- Who Are These Guys? Introducing RAFA Racing (IMSA)
- Tyler Tomassi Takes MBM Motorsports Back Truck Racing (Speedway Digest)
- United Autosports’ Le Mans triple play (RACER)
- Chip Hart Racing branding for Manthey Porsche at Le Mans (RACER)
Motorsport Movers & Shakers
In this inspiring episode of the Women’s Motorsports Network podcast, Melinda Russell welcomes NASCAR executive Julie Giese to share her remarkable journey in motorsports and her role in leading the groundbreaking Chicago Street Race. Julie reflects on her 25-year NASCAR career, which started on a Wisconsin dairy farm and led her to leadership roles at iconic tracks like Watkins Glen, Daytona, and Phoenix Raceway. Julie dives deep into the challenges and triumphs of bringing a street race to downtown Chicago—a first in NASCAR history.
She recounts the massive logistical effort, collaboration with city officials, and her commitment to engaging local communities through over 150 meetings in the inaugural year alone. Despite a torrential nine-inch rainstorm during the 2023 race weekend, the event became one of NASCAR’s most-watched races in years, showcasing both the resilience of her team and the beauty of Chicago.
Listeners get a sneak peek at exciting upgrades for 2025, including expanded viewing areas, single-day tickets, kids under 12 admitted free both days, and a Zac Brown Band concert set right on the start/finish line. Julie emphasizes the importance of making the event accessible, fan-friendly, and deeply connected to Chicago’s culture, food, and people. Throughout the conversation, her love for racing, commitment to diversity, and desire to create unforgettable experiences for fans shine through—reminding us that racing is more than a sport; it’s a community.
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects and the host of the Motorsport Prospects Podcast. As a lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.
