Fox has bought into IndyCar as they have announced a one-third investment in Penske Entertainment. What this means is discussed in this week’s Business of Motorsport Roundup. I also have news of interest in a revived Turkish Grand Prix, NASCAR’s Chicago plans and the latest motorsport deals and partnerships.
Motorsport Industry News
IndyCar
Penske Entertainment and Fox Corporation, the parent company of FOX Sports, announced July 31 an investment in the future of North America’s premier open-wheel racing series, with FOX’s acquisition of a one-third interest in Penske Entertainment, inclusive of INDYCAR and the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but people familiar with the transaction valued Fox’s investment at between $125 million and $135 million.
The Athletic looks at what this investment could mean for the series. “Bringing in Fox Sports this year as a media partner helped on many of these fronts, though considerable work still needs to be done. Now that Fox Sports has a more invested interest in growing IndyCar, its expertise in marketing and promotion should help the series, shoring up its biggest weaknesses and better positioning IndyCar for increased exposure to one of the most competitive forms of motorsports globally.”
Marshall Pruett sums it up best when he says that “it’s the thing Roger Penske said would never happen. It’s also the concession Roger Penske needed to make for the IndyCar Series to reach its full potential.”
The Fox deal will be welcomed by Mclaren’s Zak Brown who says that INDYCAR needs to go on offense more on the commercial side. “There’s putting money into this sport to keep it going, and then there’s playing offense, and I think we as a sport talk too much about cost containment and not growth. You’re never going to cut your way to success. Definitely, cost-containment is important, but I feel like the meetings I’m in, it’s 70% cost containment and 30% growth, and I think that needs to go the other way around.”
Last weekend’s Java House Grand Prix of Monterey gave rise to optimism for the future of IndyCar racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where the former CART IndyCar Series served as the famed road course’s biggest annual draw in the 1980s and ’90s. It appeared to be the largest crowd to witness an IndyCar Series race at the venue since the championship made its return in 2019.
“Ticket sales are trending positive,” new WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca president Mel Harder told RACER. “It’s been really strong compared to what it was last year. We’re doing a few new things that we hope are being received well. We’ve got some new experiences here in lake bed, the promenade area, with a roadhouse saloon. There’s live entertainment. There’s a bar-like setting with games in it. There’s a pool table – just really setting the experience that it’s something special to come out to be involved in what we’re doing.
Formula 1
Turkey is ready to become a regular F1 stop once again as newcomer Nigeria looks to make a bid for a Grand Prix in Africa. Istanbul Park was recently transferred to TOSFED, the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation, with federation president Eren Uclertopragi adamant that he would like to see F1 back in Turkey on a permanent basis – rather than just a short-term deal.
Meanwhile newly created Opus Race Promotions has announced that they are preparing a bid for an F1 race in Abuja, Nigeria. “This groundbreaking project aims to establish Nigeria as one of the premier destinations on the Formula 1 calendar, driving tourism, job creation, and infrastructure development across the region.”
Sportico reports that as Apple reportedly nears a $150 million per-year tie-up with Formula 1, U.S. subscribers to the motorsport’s own streaming offering, F1 TV, have raised questions about the service’s future.
“You don’t want any potential cannibalization from your partner eating away at customers,” Octagon EVP, global media rights advisory Daniel Cohen said in an interview. “I think F1 can keep [F1 TV], but it would have to be a very different type of product for the U.S. market.”
General Motorsport Industry News
After 15 months, Liberty Media’s acquisition of MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports has finally been completed. BlackBook Motorsport dissects the deal with Dorna’s chief commercial officer Dan Rossomondo and discusses what’s next for the series. “It’s going to be great working with [Liberty]. They know the business [and] Chase Carey, who’s on the board, I don’t think there’s anything that he hasn’t seen.”
NASCAR’s premier Cup Series will not return to Mexico City next year, leaving a spot on its 2026 schedule that is expected to be filled by the addition of a race at Chicagoland Speedway, multiple sources briefed on the league’s plans told The Athletic.
Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week
- Why Ford Goes Racing (Ford)
- Bradenton Motorsports Park to make history with $1M prize for drag racing event series (Business Observer)
- Monaco GP circuit stage in the frame for WRC comeback in 2026 (Autosport)
- What Motorsports Can Learn from the Rapid Rise of Competitive Esports Communities (AR1)
- New Jersey Motorsports Park Announces 10-Year Master Plan for the South Jersey Racetrack Facility (NJMP)
- Real Madrid star Thibaut Courtois sets sights on owning an F2 team and racing in GT3 (Yahoo Sports)
- Apple’s ‘F1: The Movie’ said to hit $500 million in box office (AppleInsider)
- Why Porsche Doesn’t Race in F1 (Your Story)
- Alejandro Agag Appointed as Motorsport Network Strategic Advisor (Motorsport.com)
- MotoGP still searching for U.S. breakthrough amid Liberty acquisition; weighing next media rights deal (SBJ)
- Trimmed British GT Calendar “Necessary” For Long-Term Viability (Daily Sportscar)
- Who Can Save This Historic Michigan Race Track With a Price of $15 Million? (The Drive)
- Own The Ultimate Playground: Rockingham Speedway Is Up For Sale (duPont Registry)
- Does F1 Really Have a Future at Spa? (The Drive)
- PRI Economic Report Highlights How Racing Helps Drive U.S. Economic Activity (PRI)
- Kyle Montrose and Joseph Champion: Accelerating Indiana’s economic growth through motorsports (The Indiana Lawyer)
- Join us December 8-10, 2025 for the fifth annual Women with Drive – Driven by Mobil 1 summit (Women with Drive)
- Porsche trims outlook in ‘storm’ of US tariff woes and China slump (Reuters)
- “Don’t fight every false story” – How Formula One journalism has survived the digital revolution (Alexandra Schieren)
- Revving In The Dark: Pakistan’s Neglect of Motorsport (Friday Times)
- WRC reveals 2026 calendar, new date for Japan, USA misses out (Autosport)
- Why the FIA is confident WRC will head to USA in 2027 after 2026 calendar miss (Autosport)
- Renault appoint new CEO after shock departure (RacingNews365)
Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup
Sustainable motorsport must be technology agnostic. This is something I have argued for years and in this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Roundup you will learn why Alejandro Agag agrees. I also have sustainable motorsport news from Formula E, Formula 1 and MotoGP plus how you can race your EV on the Green Hell!
The Numbers
Motorsports viewership this past weekend (via Adam Stern):
1) NASCAR Cup (TNT + TruTV): 2.449 million viewers
2) NASCAR Xfinity (The CW): 1.108 million
3) Formula 1 (ESPN): 1.076 million
4) IndyCar (Fox): 734,000
5) NHRA (Fox on Saturday): 498,000
6) Formula E (CBS): 473,000
7) NASCAR Truck (FS1): 341,000
8) NHRA (FS1 on Sunday): 277,000
9) ARCA (FS1): 125,000
- FOX’s IndyCar Laguna Seca broadcast delivers 700,000+ (RACER)
- NASCAR closes TNT run with 2.5m viewers at IMS (BlackBook Motorsport)
Motorsport Law Roundup
A look at some of the legal and regulatory issues and analysis in Motorsport this week
Max Verstappen will head into the F1 summer break within the top three of the championship, meaning the performance clause in his Red Bull contract will not be triggered for 2026 and he has already confirmed that he will be back with Red Bull in 2026.
Motorsport Sponsorship, Partnership News and Analysis
The latest motorsport sponsorship deals, partnerships and related analysis that were announced this week
- Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Sponsors: sponsorship portfolio analysis (RTR Sports Marketing)
- Revolut becomes title partner of the future Audi F1 Team (Audi)
- The $45 Billion Company You’ve Never Heard Of Joins Audi F1 (Business of Speed)
- The High-Stakes Race: How Motorsports and Influencer Partnerships Power Brand Equity and Stock Growth in Wearable Apparel (AI Invest)
- Skip Barber and HP Tuners Unveil Renewed Partnership (Skip Barber)
- Formula E retains ABB as title sponsor (Sport Business)
- BWT Alpine Formula One Team x FROM FUTURE launch capsule clothing collection (Alpine)
- Sponsorship Shadow Game: Why Mid-Pack SRO Cars Deliver More Value Than Pole Sitters (Vantage)
Team & Manufacturer News
A roundup of the latest team news from around the world of motorsport
- Aston Martin F1 valued at $3.2B in latest sale amid surging investor interest (Sports Business Journal)
- Aston Martin (The Carmaker) Sells Aston Martin (The F1 Team) (Jalopnik)
- McLaren Racing takes on new co-ownership with immediate effect (GP Blog)
- McLaren reveals details of massive new IndyCar investment (The Race)
- Red Bull power play: How Austria is tightening its grip on the F1 team (Autosport)
- Inside MX-5 Cup: Advanced Autosports comes full circle (RACER)
- Iron Lynx Adds Italian GT Dates (Daily Sportscar)
- Williams appoints Sauber COO as chief operations director before F1 2026 (Autosport)
- Hitech confirm team for New Zealand (TGR New Zealand)
- Quest Global Partners with Andretti Formula E for Innovation (EV Mechanica)
- Mustang in LMGT3 for the long term, Ford says (RACER)
- Doomed? Inside Lamborghini’s troubled prototype programme (The Race)
- Vasseur renews Ferrari F1 boss contract and ends speculation (Autosport)
- Hyundai confirms WRC 2026 entry but future beyond remains unclear (Autosport)
- BMW “Committing Long-Term” to Factory LMDh Effort (Sportscar365)
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. 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.
