NASCAR planning 42-race season as teams disappoint in bringing sponsors to the sport

NASCAR Cup Series team owners are struggling to bring more sponsors to the sport to generate more media money. But long-time motorsports reporter Lee Spencer has a better idea than several NASCAR executives who are looking to make it happen.

During a recent Pit Reporters podcast, long-time racing reporter Lee Spencer stated that to boost media money, the sport's governing body might try to get around that by expanding the schedule from the current 36 points races to 42 races starting in 2025. This would be in addition to exhibition races like Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum and All-Star Race.

Spencer said:

“You’ll probably need the additional partners just to pony up the cash to make it work. I’m hearing 42 (total) races. I think they set that up for the new TV schedule to give a little piece of the pie to everyone.”

The broadcasting rights of NASCAR’s top-level series are currently held by Fox Sports and NBC. The current television contracts will last for two more seasons, after which Cup team owners might expect both more money from media rights holders and a larger percentage of NASCAR’s total revenue.

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“I don’t see teams working as hard to get sponsorships” – NASCAR Cup Series reporter

Lee Spencer, who has been covering NASCAR for a very long time, also said track owners and Cup Series team owners are not working hard to get sponsorship.

Further on the podcast, Spencer said:

“I’ve got to say, over the last 10 years, I don’t see teams working as hard to get sponsorships. I don’t see tracks working as hard to get sponsorships. To me, that’s gravy, whatever they bring in – more so for the tracks and the teams.”

She continued:

“But in the last 10 years, we have seen teams go from working exceptionally hard to bring in sponsorship dollars to bringing in half-assed drivers that either write a check or bring a sponsor with them. And that dilutes the quality of the product on the racetrack. So, I kind of put it back to the teams to find competent sales people and marketing people to go out and sell.”

It will be interesting to see when the governing body will implement the 42-race season.

The Cup Series will return next year at the iconic Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway. The event will start on February 19th, 2023.