NASCAR’s Brian France to lead group to purchase the Carolina Panthers

We finally hae a look at the local group who will be looking to purchase the Carolina Panthers.

Brian France is putting together a team to buy the Carolina Panthers and (hopefully) keep the team in Charlotte.

If you don’t know who France is, he is the CEO and Chairman of NASCAR — and grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. — and he has some pretty powerful friends who are looking to swoop in and buy the Panthers.

If you don’t know the story, here’s a quick recap of where the Panthers are now and why they’re in this situation.

The Panthers’ current owner, Jerry Richardson, has been the team’s owner for its entire existence. But when sexual harassment allegations finally caught up to Richardson, he decided to put the team up for sale after the end of the year, and that has brought up questions about the team’s future in Charlotte.

France is looking to try to assuage those fears.

Under the France family’s watch, NASCAR’s popularity has exploded. Though the sport has had some period of dips over the years and appears to be in one now, it has by and large been more successful and profitable than anyone would have dreamed a few decades ago, and one can hope that Brian France can bring that same touch to the Panthers.

The immediate issue that France and his investor team would have to deal with if he’s able to buy the team would be its current stadium situation. Bank of America Stadium was once one of the NFL’s crown jewels, but now the stadium is fast approaching the end of its prime revenue-generating lifespan, and a renovated BOA Stadium, or a brand new stadium altogether, will be the top priority for France and his team.

Next: Why Jon Gruden would be a great hire for the Raiders

There will be little question that he’ll keep the team in Charlotte, though. NASCAR’s heart is within the region, and many NASCAR drivers who live in the Charlotte area are huge Panthers fans.

So this news may be welcomed by many within Panther Nation, as if France buys the team, they will be comfortable knowing that their team will be staying in the Queen City for the foreseeable future.