The Rise And Fall (And Rise?) Of NASCAR

Enlarge this image Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The Daytona 500, known as The Great American Race, is one of the most attended sporting events in America. But this year the "Super Bowl of stock car racing" comes at a precarious time for the sport's governing body, NASCAR.

Once a cultural force and behemoth in the world of professional sports, NASCAR has in recent years seen its TV ratings and attendance numbers plummet, leading some to wonder if one of America's most popular spectator sports might be stalling out.

Now NASCAR faces a dilemma that many businesses face: what to do when your winning formula is no longer so winning. Can the sport entice a new generation of fans without alienating the people that made it so successful in the first place, or is NASCAR headed for a crash?

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