Nascar and F1 fight for Texas

Tensions show between the Nascar and F1 due to a clash of dates on the weekend of November 2. On this date, the Texas Motor Speedway will host the three categories of Nascar, including the AAA Texas 500 which is the penultimate round of the Sprint Cup Series. However, the President of the circuit Eddie Gossage was more than upset with the management of F1 who chose this weekend to organize the USA Grand Prix in Austin a few hundred kilometers away. “I think it’s completely ridiculous. I can't say I was surprised because Bernie Ecclestone does a lot of stupid things. It's just not smart. There are 52 weeks in the year, but was this the only week F1 could come to Austin? », he notably declared to the AP press agency, probably fearing a drop in ticket sales and a less significant media share.

If Bernie Ecclestone is entangled in his legal affairs, the F1 financier keeps a watchful eye on his discipline. The British businessman was quick to respond. “We have a little problem that they (Nascar) don’t have. We have six Jumbo Jets flying around the world with all our equipment and we need to figure out the best way to use them.", explained Mr E to the Press Association Sport. “We have to be efficient and keep in mind that we can encounter problems at an airport. Problems may arise, but he and the others don't realize all that. The race before the USA is in Sochi, Russia (October 12). We have never been there and will have to leave this place and then go to Austin. It's probably much simpler than wanting to go to Brazil where we will have to leave next (November 9) before going to Abu Dhabi (the last Grand Prix of the year on November 23). So he's very lucky that he's not doing what we're doing. »

If such a clash of dates could be detrimental to the two events, Bernie Ecclestone believes that the impact will be limited by considering that the two events attract a different audience.