$200M-worth IndyCar ally signs Dave Portnoy up for special honor at Nashville season finale

IndyCar's Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix at the Nashville Superspeedway will witness a special on-track appearance from businessman and social media personality Dave Portnoy. The event's title sponsor, Big Machine Label Group, which is owned by Scott Borchetta (net worth $200M), has given the green light to Portnoy getting into an IndyCar challenger on August 31 to lead the field to the green flag.

Portnoy was born and raised in Swampscott, Massachusetts, and is the son of a lawyer and teacher. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in education, he moved to Boston, and after a stint with the Yankee Group, he founded Barstool Sports (now an online blog).

He is a well-known personality in the world of sports, and FOX (which controls one-third of IndyCar and the IMS) is also starting to make use of his and Barstool Sports' presence. FOX Sports and Portnoy's company announced in July that the two companies are coming together to improve coverage of college football, college basketball and other FOX Sports properties.

FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks said the following via a statement:

"We’re excited to welcome Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports to the FOX Sports family. Dave has built a one-of-a-kind brand that connects with a new generation of sports fans — authentic, bold and original. Their unique voice and loyal fan base makes them a natural fit for our evolving multiplatform content strategy."

FOX, in partnership with Penske Entertainment, is conjuring up plans for the growth of America's highest class of open-wheel racing in various ways.

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FOX sees the 'incredible potential' of IndyCar

IndyCar has witnessed quite a few special personalities lead the field to green in the 2025 season, and Dave Portnoy will become the final addition to it this year. With FOX joining hands with Portnoy's Barstool Sports in July, in the same month, they dropped the major news of signing a mega deal with the Roger Penske-owned IndyCar series.

Penske, back then on July 31, said (via IndyCar's official website):

"This partnership is built on long-standing trust and a shared vision for the future. FOX sees the incredible potential across our sport and wants to play an active role in building our growth trajectory. Lachlan Murdoch and his team, starting with Eric Shanks, are committed to our success and will bring incredible energy and innovation to INDYCAR."

America's highest class of open-wheel racing has been around since the 1920s. With the sport offering high-intensity on-track action alongside FOX joining hands with Penske Entertainment, it could be heading towards a bright future. The full impact of the partnership would be seen in the 2026 season.