Happy Wednesday all,

Published reports indicate that NASCAR could be headed to the selling block, a move that could have implications for Delaware ’s lone track and its two weekends of races.

According to Reuters, the France family is exploring the sale of a majority stake in the race circuit. The family also owns a large chunk of ISC, a company that owns key tracks, like Daytona.

The family issued a memo to employees emphasizing its dedication to the future of the sport, but as the old saying goes, where there ’s smoke, there’s fire.

The France empire has been dealing with dwindling attendance for races. The NASCAR audience is aging, with the recession of 2008 hitting its fan base hard. There has also been criticism that races are too many and too long.

A NASCAR sale might add more flexibility and a windfall for the family with estimates indicating a sale could net billions of dollars. As the story noted, NASCAR races still draw viewers, with the company profiting from TV revenues.

One of a number of  non-France tracks  is  Dover International Speedway, a publicly owned company that has also benefitted from the TV deals

Dover is down to one active track the “Monster Mile”  after selling off other holdings.

The company has remained profitable with its two NASCAR weekends, but has reduced seating at the track, which once had room for more for more than 100,000. The market value of Dover International’s stock is around  $76 million.

Dover Motorsports and casino and horse-racing company Dover Downs were founded by the Rollins family. They share corporate functions, but several years ago dropped plans to combine the two entities, due to shareholder objections.

Meanwhile, Dover Downs has been posting small losses, thanks to competition from out-of-state casinos and Delaware’s revenue-sharing formula, which remains among the highest in the nation.

Legislation before the General Assembly would offer some financial relief in return for Dover Downs and the state’s two other racinos earmarking some funds for marketing and investments.

The bill faces an uncertain fate, due to a lack of enthusiasm from New Castle County legislators.  Delaware Park is the only casino in northern New Castle County and has far less economic impact up north than its counterparts in Kent County, home of Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway..

 Enjoy another beautiful day. The newsletter returns tomorrow. – Doug Rainey, publisher