The stock car race that started on the sands of Daytona nearly 50 years ago is now a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. “NASCAR Gold,” reported by Dylan Ratigan, premiering on CNBC on Monday, July 11, goes behind the scenes at this empire built on the beach in an in-depth, one-hour documentary about the sport – from its corporate boardrooms to the working pits at the Daytona 500. “NASCAR Gold” gives viewers an inside look at:
– The extreme loyalty NASCAR fans show to corporate sponsors, buying billions worth of licensed gear every year — one reason NASCAR attracts more money from more Fortune 500 companies than any other sports or entertainment property in America.
– The world of the billionaire France family, who, for three generations have run NASCAR with an iron grip. Diversifying beyond its roots in the South by starting races in places like Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Dallas, they have made NASCAR the nation’s fastest-growing sport.
Dylan Ratigan is no stranger to racing. After participating in the Baja 1000 as a co-driver last November – as one engine blew up and he was forced to push the truck by hand for the last mile – Ratigan met NASCAR driver Robby Gordon, who invited him to work on the Gordon team in the Daytona pits. In “NASCAR Gold,” Ratigan also goes one-on-one with one of the sport’s most legendary team owners, Rick Hendrick.(NBC PR)(7-7-2005)
