Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Riebe
The France family does not care about anything beyond the France family.
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I don't buy that. Jim France has long loved sports cars (does the word "Camel" connect any circuits?) and has lately (last couple years) been spending a lot of attention on FIA officials.
I am not saying Jim France is in love with the tradition of sports car racing and recognizes that it started in Europe, and that sports car racing really needs to be international because its fan base is international and cosmopolitan---but at he very least he is an astute businessman who recognizes that his easiest path to success is allying himself with--and thus gaining influence with--the worldwide heads of the sport, which would be the ACO and the FIA.
Here in the U.S. NASCAR can be the 800-lb gorilla, but on the global stage, FIA and ACO can jack him up or shut him down. If he wants to be the North American Emperor of Sports Cars the way Brian France is the North American Emperor of Stock Cars (and pretty much profitable professional racing generally) then Jim France has to kiss the ring of the Pope, Jean Todt.
Pretty smart move--instead of competing with the oldest, biggest and best known sports car power structure in the world, Jim France becomes an ally, and gains a seat on the council.
Since he has NASCAR's financial success to back him up, he can preach crap like common P2 chassis with "styling cue" bodywork, and similar crap. And since he has a relationship with the U.S. manufacturers, he can swing their weight--something even the FIA-ACO would be foolish to ignore. He can set himself up as the gatekeeper to the American manufacturers---Very Powerful Position.
I think Jim France very much wants a seat at the global sports car table--if only because that is the first step to sitting at the head of that table.
Jim France is no fool--he realizes sports car racing in North America is never going to be a huge sport. But if he can get his fingers in the global pie--he can eat much higher on the hog, to mess up some metaphors. And if he can get his hands on the global hog, he might one day ride astride it--or at least eat the biggest portion.
Global sports car ham and bacon--the true goal of Jim France.