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NASCAR team owners have made headlines recently for exploring new ventures in other leagues with RFK Racing team owners FSG being the latest to join the bandwagon.
Cup Series' RFK Racing team is owned by Fenway Sports Group, a sports venture founded by John W. Henry and Tom Werner. The former is the co-owner of the NASCAR Cup team and the principal owner of Liverpool FC and Boston Red Sox.
FSG have now ventured into the virtual golf league TGL, which is backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, the biggest names in the sport. The group have bought the rights to a Boston-based franchise in the league, it said on Monday.
The new league is owned by TMRW Sports, a venture owned by Woods and McIlroy. The virtual tournament set to begin early next year will feature six teams, consisting of three top players, competing on a simulator in an arena.
Tennis legend Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian (Reddit co-founder), were the first to buy a franchise earlier this month- Los Angeles Golf Club. FSG bought the second team, based in Boston. The sports conglomerate will also own a three percent stake in TGL, as a part of the deal.
Fenway Sports Group owns some of the biggest franchises across various leagues. Along with NASCAR's RFK Racing, Red Sox, and Liverpool FC, the group also own the NHL team Pittsburgh Penguins and many arenas.
John Henry and FSG entered NASCAR in 2007, buying a 50 percent stake in Roush Racing. After rebranding as Roush Fenway Racing, the 2012 Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski joined the team as a co-owner in 2022, with its name evolving into RFK Racing.
The new deal from the NASCAR team owners follows Michael Jordan selling his NBA team and Joe Gibbs selling a stake in his team.
Ross Chastain successfully converts his first NASCAR Cup Series pole into a race win
Starting on the pole position, Ross Chastain took the checkered flag in Sunday's Ally 400 race to claim his third career victory and first of the season. This was also his first visit to the victory lane in over a year, with his last win coming at Talladega in April 2022.
Despite having a phenomenal start to the season leading the drivers' standings, the #1 Trackhouse Racing driver hadn't won a race. His campaign was derailed after being heavily criticized for his aggressive driving.
Putting on a clean performance throughout the race, Chastain silenced the doubters and the critics.
"I got to tell you, a lot of self-reflection through all this, but I had a group that believed in me and they didn't let me get down. And they bring rocket ships, and I just try to point them to victory lane." he said on the victory lane.
His race win was followed by his traditional and fan-favorite watermelon smash.
