NASCAR veteran Brad Keselowski tells Kelly Earnhardt about the two biggest threats to NASCAR 

Brad Keselowski, the NASCAR driver and team owner, recently appeared on Kelly Earnhardt’s podcast, “Business of Motorsports” and discussed the two major problems facing the future of NASCAR.

The Michigan native, Keselowski, drives the #6 car for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing team which he co-owns with Jack Roush and John W. Henry (founder of Fenway Sports Group). The 40 year old made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2008 and won the championship in 2012.

As a team owner, his role includes strategic decision making which aims at improving team performance and competitiveness. He has been very vocal about making changes to NASCAR’s structure, including proposals to move the finale to different tracks.

On the "Business of Motorsports" podcast, Brad Keselowski identified two significant threats to NASCAR's future as a team owner. Keselowski mentioned the result of the 23XI-FRM lawsuit and the possibility of an OEM (Original equipment manufacturer) leaving while speaking with Kelly Earnhardt. He said:

"Well, I would say there's one A and one B that are the two biggest threats for me. You know, one is whatever falls out of the charter lawsuit, dispute between 23XI - Front Row Motorsports and NASCAR. You know, that is a significant threat to all of NASCAR, which transcends the cup series. Everyone, yep. So how that kind of unfolds is a threat to the sport." (28:49 onwards)

On the OEM monopoly, he said:

"Outside of that, the OEM picture and landscape is a significant threat. You know, NASCAR's been operating with three OEMs now for probably a decade, a decade and a half now, I would say. And it's a bit of a precarious position to be in. You know, I feel like the sport needs about four, maybe five OEMs to be like kind of its max healthy position. " he added.

"And three is like, if one walks away, there's a set of dominoes that fall. And I look at the OEM landscape and, you know, the car guys, the next decade is, it's going to be tough for them. They are gonna have some difficult decisions to make. We are regularly seeing regulations pushed. You know, battery electric vehicles", he continued.

Currently, NASCAR has three primary OEMs: Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota. NASCAR officials are looking to attract more OEMs like Honda to divide the monopoly these manufacturers have over the racing competition.

Meanwhile, 23XI and FRM teams filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and the CEO, Jim France, over the terms of the new charter agreement set for 2025. The lawsuit alleged that NASCAR has maintained a monopoly in top-tier stock car racing through “anticompetitive and exclusionary practices,” which they argue is hurting the sport as a whole. The lawsuit seeked financial compensation and a reorganization of the association’s operational structure.

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Brad Keselowski explained his decision to be a team owner despite being a driver

During the same aforementioned podcast, Brad Keselowski shared insights into his decision to take part ownership in a NASCAR team. He explained that while driving allows for a focus on performance without the burden of business concerns, it also comes with frustrations regarding control over team operations.

"I bet your drivers would say the same thing: 'I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that.' But then there’s other moments where you’re like, 'Gosh, we were right on the cusp of winning, but we were missing this one piece,' and it’s something outside of my control as a driver, Keselowski said (04:15 onwards).

"You know, there’s a little bit of the control freak that I think we all have, where you’re like, 'Man, we were missing this one piece, I knew how to get it, couldn’t do it because I didn’t have the, you know, kind of the authority and command authority to do it.' So, I like that part of being an owner. That excites me," he added.

Keselowski noted that being an owner provides the authority to address issues that may hinder performance, which he finds exciting. His experience as a driver and owner gives him a unique perspective on the challenges faced in both roles.