Saudi prince buying a stake in Richard Petty Motorsports | Blog of Tomorrow - al.com - al.com
NASCAR fans who thought the world was coming to an end when Toyota became part of the sport might want to stop reading this right now -- or at least brace yourselves.
George Gillett is selling a minority stake in Richard Petty Motorsports to a member of the Saudi royal family in a deal that might include building a NASCAR-type track in the Saudi kingdom to be used for a driving school by the Richard Petty Driving Experience program.
Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud will be a new part-owner of a NASCAR team if the deal goes through. You could sort of say that the King of NASCAR is joining up with the King of Saudi Arabia.
“The Middle East has immense growth potential [for racing] as fans demand access to more diverse, higher-caliber competition,” Gillett said during a Tuesday announcement. “I'm delighted, enthusiastic and honored to have the opportunity to partner with such a visionary in His Highness Prince Faisal.”
This just has all sorts of comic potential.
Will announcers be telling TV audiences about Kasey Kahne in the No. 9 al-Saud Chevy?
Will Elliott Sadler change his name to Saudler?
Will the Saudis decide that their new NASCAR-like track really ought to be added to the Cup schedule?
Does Prince Faisal have a nephew who has always wanted to drive a race car who will suddenly become the latest fully-sponsored and therefore in-demand driver?
Of course, you have to wonder just how smart the Saudis are if they are investing in a race team. As the saying goes -- the quickest way to making a small fortune in racing is to start with a large fortune.
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