Why Many Europeans Have a Problem with NASCAR

• NASCAR has had a presence in Europe since 2008 when the series that would eventually become the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series made its debut.
• Recently there have been rumors of the sanctioning body taking a NASCAR Cup Series race to Europe.
• Past Formula 1 champion Button believes NASCAR should partner with another series for a European race weekend instead of going solo.

Formula 1 champion Jenson Button believes European racing fans would enjoy NASCAR but says they would struggle with the sport’s tactics.

“I think the big one is the no rules in terms of how aggressive you can be out on the track,” Button says. “We struggle with that initially because it’s completely different to any other type of racing. In other racing, if you tap a guy, you’re probably going to get a penalty or damage to your car; whereas in NASCAR, that’s not the case.

“You can hit people and it’s down to the other guy either to retaliate or to move out of the way. So that’s the biggest thing, I think, for the European public to get their head around.”

NASCAR has had a presence in Europe since 2008 when the series that would eventually become the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series made its debut. However, recently there have been rumors of the sanctioning body taking a NASCAR Cup Series race to Europe.

Button says NASCAR shouldn’t wait too long to capitalize on the buzz created by the stock car raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Hendrick Motorsports Garage 56 project won the pit crew competition and completed the event, finishing 39th in the 62-car field.

“You’ve got to jump on what we did at Le Mans,” says Button, who co-drove the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson and Mike Rockenfeller. “It could be easily forgotten.”

Button believes NASCAR should partner with another series for a European race weekend instead of going solo. He pointed to a World Endurance Cup weekend as a good possibility since “you have a big fan base there already.”

Button believes the Netflix series that went behind the scenes in Formula 1 played a key role in the sport’s growth in popularity in the United States. He says NASCAR should do something similar in Europe to introduce its competitors to those motorsports fans.

“In America, we love behind the scenes,” Button says. “We like seeing the individuals that are actually competing and a bit of controversy. You definitely got that on the (Netflix) TV show (on Formula 1). That’s a big part of it.

“Racing is one thing. I think understanding the personalities that are in the sport is something that I think the European fans would want to know. Just seeing 39 cars drive around is great, but if you don’t know who’s behind the wheel, you’ve got no one to really support unless you just like the color of the car like my son does. So, I think there needs to be a way of the European fans understanding the personalities within the sport as much as enjoying the racing.”