USA Today‘s Jeff Gluck is reporting that NASCAR will move all sanctioning body activities, including the joint Xfinity/Camping World Truck Series Banquet, away from Trump National Doral Miami, effective immediately. The move has been done in response to recent controversial statements uttered by the real estate mogul. No replacement site has been announced as of yet.
NASCAR, which officially did not comment on Trump’s controversial comments, had quietly been following the affair from afar before privately making their decision.
“We were monitoring it closely and started looking at our own relationship with him and how it may have an impact and ultimately made the decision it does not make sense to continue that [deal],” NASCAR Spokesman David Higdon said in a statement. “…We looked at everything that was said and done and we heard from a lot of our partners and friends and factored all that in.”
Trump, who is currently seeking the 2016 Republican nomination for President, has come under fire recently for inappropriate comments made towards Mexicans and specifically, Mexican immigrants. We will not print those comments in this space. In a related story, Trump is also currently suing the Spanish-language network Univision for $500 million after they announced that they would not air the Miss USA Pageant (which Trump owns) following his comments. Trump claims that Univision is suppressing his First Amendment rights but putting pressure on his business interests. Since the firestorm has begun, NBC (a sister company to Xfinity, title sponsor of the Xfinity Series) cancelled Trump’s reality show, Celebrity Apprentice, and cut ties with the 69-year old mogul, in addition to the Mexican Televisa and Ora TV networks.
Marcus Lemonis, the CEO of Camping World and star of CNBC’s The Profit, brought the issue to NASCAR’s attention last week by penning a letter to NASCAR CEO Brian France. In the letter, Lemonis stated that if the banquet were to held at Trump National Doral Miami (or any other Trump-owned property, of which there are dozens located around the world), he would refuse to attend because he finds Trump’s comments to be repugnant. Said letter was made available to the media on Friday afternoon.
Previously, NASCAR held the joint banquet for the Xfinity and Camping World Truck series at Trump National Doral Miami, a sprawling complex that includes The Blue Monster at Doral, which hosts the WCG-Cadillac Invitational each March. In addition, the resort has also hosted the Sprint Cup Series’ Ford Championship Weekend press conference event.
About the author
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.
Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.
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I’m sure Trump is crushed. Really though, what does it matter? Nobody is watching either series anyway.
Love how Marcus Lemons manipulated Brian, and did not have the balls to speak with Trump directly…Camping World and The Profit are “fired” by me!!!!!!!!!