"Good thing it fell apart": NASCAR fans react after report on Jim France’s NASCAR Cup entry plans

NASCAR CEO Jim France was keen on funding a car for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway in July, as per recent reports. He was all set to provide financial support for a new entry operated by Spire Motorsports with 29-year-old driver, Jack Aitken, as the driver. He drives for Action Express Racing in the International Motor Sports Association sports car series.

This news got a severe backlash around the garage due to another high-profile conflict of interest in Motorsports, similar to Roger Penske, who owns both the IndyCar series and the most successful team of the series.

Here are some fan reactions to the incident:

Anderson

@_1017__

Good thing it fell apart

"If Jim wants to run a team…then he should sell off NASCAR to someone, and he can start a team. The whole Penske/Indy deal has really discredited IndyCar," another fan wrote.

"The only way I would be okay with the France family getting charter is if they let @DaleJr and @EarnhardtKelley run it," one fan wrote.

Here are some more fan reactions to the incident:

Tanner

@thall767

I guarantee he was doing this with hope of taking over the 23XI and Front Row Charters.

"This is textbook conflict of interest, isn’t it?" one fan wrote.

"Don’t care if it’s their own team or a partnership with an existing one. High up NASCAR executives should absolutely have no entries in a series they own. Major conflict of interest." another fan wrote.

Jim France's deal to sponsor a car in the NASCAR Cup Series comes to a halt

NASCAR boss Jim France has led some major projects during his time at NASCAR since 1970. One of the most iconic projects during the 80-year-old's tenure has been revamping Daytona International Speedway, turning it into the world’s first motorsports stadium.

However, France's latest deal has come to a halt after a sudden turn of events. He was supposedly looking to sponsor a car in the upcoming Cup Series race at the Sonoma Raceway in July. This decision led to a major backlash in the garage that made the NASCAR CEO scrap his plans.

According to reports, Jim France was going to fund a car from Spire Motorsports, and the deal was very close to completion before it completely fell through due to people in the garage being uncomfortable with racing against the owner of the series, also hinting at a possible conflict of interest.

The owners of NASCAR have not competed in the Cup series since 1972, but it was also not the first time that NASCAR has shaken the manufacturers and teams with a move onto the track. In 2023, the organization partnered with Chevrolet and the Cup team Hendrick Motorsports for a special entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France.

Jim France and NASCAR's officials have not made any statements regarding the incidents. Co-owner of Spire Motorsports, Jeff Dickerson, had confirmed the plans, revealing that Jim France's entry wouldn’t have been fielded directly.