“Whole Bunch of Bureaucracy and Tax Issues” – Fans Skeptical as India’s Involvement in NASCAR Comes to Light

With the iconic 24 hours of Le Mans in the rearview mirror, the racing world witnessed NASCAR’s rumbling seventh-generation Cup Series stock car doing laps around the Circuit de la Sarthe. The proud, HMS-associated Garage 56’s entry took it to the GTE cars and gave them a run for their money, completing 285 laps.

The racy blue Chevy with its growling pushrod V8 was certainly the star attraction as fans were frequently clicking pictures of the Cup car as it passed them humming its glorious tune. Showcasing its potential at the centenary event, the Camaro ZL1 certainly was a perfect attraction, a treat for ardent racing fans, as NASCAR proudly spreads its wings, eyeing newer grounds.

Recently, a teaser went out to the community about NASCAR’s ambitious international plans. Evidently, NASCAR is planning to enter the untapped Indian shores. Being the most populous country in the world with a thriving sporting culture, India is a sleeping giant in terms of potential and possibilities.

Is NASCAR headed to India? Will India have its own NASCAR India Series?

The competition in these times is fierce. While Formula 1 catapulted into popularity among racing enthusiasts for its worldwide venues and exciting fixtures, American racing giant, NASCAR has been trying to go international. As part of its expansion plans, the organization inaugurated its own stock car series in Mexico, Canada, Europe, and Brazil between 2004 and 2012.

NASCAR is also in talks with returning Cup Series races to the iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, in an effort to gain more traction in the international market. However, until now, the expansion has been limited to the Americas and Europe, but that is about to change. There have been rumors about NASCAR looking for newer pastures. SBJ reporter Adam Stern recently tweeted NASCAR’s expansion plans into India.

Now for many fans, the racing scene on Indian shores may seem a bit dull. But there are many parts of the country where motorsports culture is thriving. Even NASCAR has had a popular Indian driver—the first foreign-born driver to win the Most Popular Driver Award in the Truck Series. A notable Formula 1 driver and a highly regarded sports icon in his country, Narain Karthikeyan, became the first Indian to compete in NASCAR when he debuted in Korger 250 at Martinsville in 2010.

After their Le Mans stride receiving a lot of praise, with Tik Tok’s search results showing more than 18 million queries for Garage 56, NASCAR is currently in talks with entities in the Middle East and India to expand its racing roots all over the globe.

Redditors react to the news as they pin Stern’s tweet, engaging in active discussion

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Stern’s tweet made a big noise as fans on Reddit had lively discussions. Someone shared their skepticism,

“I’m a little skeptable about NASCAR expanding into India. While India has hosted F1 races in the past and has several tracks that can host NASCAR races, their racing culture isnt as strong as other countries.”

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Whereas another fan mentioned bureaucracy being detrimental to the sport.

“F1 held like 3 forgettable races and got caught up in a whole bunch of beauracracy and tax issues. There just wasn’t much demand.”

Another came up with a quick wit as he wrote, “NASCAR journalists just throwing darts at the map and seeing what sticks at this point”

On the other hand, eager fans commented their thoughts as well.

“They already have a NASCAR Mexico Series. I’m sure they mean expanding to have a NASCAR India Series”

“When you have a billion potential racing fans even a 1% adoption rate is huge.”

READ MORE: NASCAR & Hendrick Motorsports Succeed in Leaving a Lasting Impact With Glorious Le Mans Feat Despite Drama Kicking In, As Proud Fans Come Together in Admiration

While there’s no credible news other than Stern’s update, the senior journalist usually doesn’t miss his mark. As a couple of fans mentioned, “If it comes from Stern or Bianchi, I’m inclined to believe it.”