NASCAR is hoping for more than just "better luck next time." Last week's Daytona 500, the most prestigious race on the sport's calendar, was plagued by setbacks. First, it was postponed due to a rain out, its first ever. Then, a large fuel fire erupted during the race. But these are mere hazards of the trade, and CEO Brian France has his sights set higher for 2013. France, 49, wants to begin attracting blue chip technology companies to complement the usual stable of beer and automotive sponsors. That may be easier said than done in a competitive advertising environment and for a sport which is notoriously blue-collar. But France, the league's chief executive since 2003, is convinced. "Eventually, we're going to pull in big tech companies like HP, Cisco and Apple, which for one reason or another have eluded us always," he says.
Read Article