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NASCAR: Top 5 figures who could be owners of the Carolina Panthers

By Tyler Callaway

JOLIET, IL - SEPTEMBER 17: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 AXALTA Chevrolet, stands on the grid with Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 17, 2017 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
JOLIET, IL - SEPTEMBER 17: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 AXALTA Chevrolet, stands on the grid with Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 17, 2017 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /
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LOUDON, NH – JULY 15: Speedway Motorsports Inc. owner and CEO Bruton Smith (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
LOUDON, NH – JULY 15: Speedway Motorsports Inc. owner and CEO Bruton Smith (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR) /

Conclusion

As a Panthers fan, my one concern is just having an owner who will first keep the team in Charlotte and also either make the right calls for the team or put the right people in place who will make those calls for them.

Keeping the team in North Carolina wouldn’t be too difficult. The Panthers have been top 10 in attendance dating all the way back to 2006. The city is also 100% committed to the team.

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Having a NASCAR owner with roots in the Carolinas is also a big plus.

More than likely, Bruton and Marcus Smith will become the majority owners in this Felix Sabates-led group, and that has a lot of pros and cons.

Bruton Smith has had public disputes with officials from Charlotte over taxes and other incentives regarding his race track, and he has threatened to move races from NASCAR’s schedule in Charlotte.

So it’s scary to think about Smith coming in and holding the Panthers and the city of Charlotte hostage over something like a new stadium. That being said, I believe the Smith family’s heart lies in the Carolinas, which is a must-have for any owner who purchases the team, so them moving the team out of Charlotte would be hard to imagine.

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At the end of the day it’s hard for me to worry about anyone in NASCAR who would take controlling interest in the team, because more than likely, they’ll remain loyal to the Carolinas. With NASCAR becoming more and more successful each year, they’ll more than likely know what they’re doing. No matter who takes over the team, all Panthers fans have to remember one thing: anyone but Diddy.

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