It's all about "butts in the Stands". In the Hotel biz it's called "heads in beds" That equals dollars all the way around. Food sales in the concession stands,T shirt sales, all the driver memorabilia, Tv rights,commercial airtime during a big race. All of that adds up to bilions of dollars.That is why Buschwackers are in there. Its not about the racing or being the proving ground for up and coming drivers. Its money money money. If you knew how much money the france family pulled down in a year its insane! The bottom line will drive the decisions to where it is most profitable. Here are a couple of quotes from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and wikapedia.
"Members of the France family, which owns NASCAR, are among the wealthiest people in the country, with more net worth than Oprah Winfrey and Arthur Blank, according to Forbes magazine."
"Bill France Jr., Brian France's father, and James France, his uncle, are worth $1.6 billion and are ranked No. 198 on the Forbes list of the 400 Richest Americans."
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International Speedway Corporation Type Public (NYSE: ISCA)
Founded 1953 (as Bill France, Inc.)
Location Daytona Beach, Florida
Key people Bill France, Sr., founder
Industry Service
Products Sporting activities
Revenue $754.63 Million USD (2005, November)
Operating income $412.15 Million USD (2005, November)
Net income $162.09 Million USD (2005, November)
Employees 1,000 (full time)
Website
www.iscmotorsports.com
International Speedway Corporation (NYSE: ISCA) or ISC is a corporation whose primary business is the ownership and management of NASCAR race tracks. About 55% of the stock in ISC is owned by the heirs of NASCAR founder William France Sr. and the remainder trades on the stock market. Although ISC is the private property of the France family, it is separate from NASCAR.
The corporation owns California Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway, Richmond International Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, and the Watkins Glen International road course and owns a minority interest in Chicagoland Speedway. Together these tracks hold slightly less than two-thirds of the events on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series schedule. ISC has also agreed to purchase 600 acres (2.4 kmē) on Staten Island in New York for the construction of a new speedway.
In 2005, Kentucky Speedway filed a lawsuit against ISC and NASCAR, claiming that NASCAR violated federal antitrust laws by not awarding them a Nextel Cup race, noting the close relationship between NASCAR, ISC, and the France Family.
The company's other holdings include the Motor Racing Network, a radio network that broadcasts NASCAR events, Americrown, a food service business that operates concession stands at its tracks, and DAYTONA USA, an attraction just outside Daytona International Speedway. In 2006, ISC partnered with Speedway Motorsports, Inc. to form Motorsports Authentics, a company that markets and distributes NASCAR-related souvenirs and collectibles.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Speedway_Corporation"
I am not faulting anything that this family has done. It is a true American success story. We as fans that watch and attend racing for the excitement of "rooting" for our favorite driver,sponsor or whatever do and even if you won't admit it out loud, love the the rubbing,the pushing, the shoving , the rivalries and even the crashes. The France family has been managing and growing this sport for a very long time and have prospered handsomely from it. They will continue to do so with profits in mind.
Just my thoughts.-Chef-