NASCAR, just like any other motorsports series, requires a lot of investment. It is no wonder that only those who have a lot of sponsors and have a solid investment plan end up starting their own teams in the sport. Especially at the Cup Series level, it gets insanely expensive. While one of the former team owners called it out as a billionaire sport, current team owner Brad Keselowski doesn’t feel that way about NASCAR.

Brad Keselowski reveals who really controls NASCAR now

Brad Keselowski denies BJ McLeod’s statements about NASCAR becoming a sport for billionaire team owners. Keselowski himself is a co-owner of a NASCAR Cup Series team. As he speaks further, he confesses, “You know, I am not sure if I would characterize it the same way.

“The shift that I have seen has been more of, rather than team-owner-based influence, more OEM influence. OEMs have more influence than they did for any time I have been a part of the sport. And they have chosen to support the billionaires because of the stability that they represent. I probably view it more as the OEMs than anything else.”

It is an age-old debate that plagues the entirety of motorsports itself. Is it about money, or is it about talent? Are rich team owners the only ones allowed to taste success in NASCAR?

To answer that question, let’s take a candid look at the comparison between a billionaire team owner and a more modest team owner. 23XI Racing is backed by the likes of Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. Jordan is an entire brand in himself, and there’s no doubt that he is the biggest name in the sport when it comes to team owners.

In terms of brand value alone, Michael Jordan rivals or even surpasses the likes of Rick Hendrick or Joe Gibbs. As such, multiple brands want to work with him. Even rival brands like Monster, Rockstar Energy, and Celsius have no issues sponsoring different cars for Michael Jordan’s team, 23XI Racing.

When an OEM sees this influence, they immediately understand that 23XI Racing is ready to shoot towards the top. Thus, they readily want to work with Jordan and his team. The investment flowing in gives them more opportunity to research and develop their cars better compared to the other modest teams. This, in turn, benefits the OEM.

Just look at the 2026 season; Toyotas are being called out for cheating just because Tyler Reddick won five out of the first nine races of the season.

This wouldn’t be as easily possible with a team that barely survives the Cup Series weekends. You have modest teams like Rick Ware Racing or Wood Brothers Racing, which operate on significantly tighter budgets. The teams that do not hold a lot of cash in their pocket can’t spend a lot on research. They can’t take risks and end up damaging their cars. This ends up affecting their finishes and gives a bad reputation to the OEMs themselves.

So to answer the question, it is a bit tricky to draw conclusions, but yes, in general, OEMs prefer those teams that show a lot of financial promise.

BJ McLeod was trying to put forth the same point in a different manner. However, he didn’t put the blame on the OEMs but spoke in a general manner. Here’s why McLeod believes NASCAR is a billionaire’s sport now.

BJ McLeod can’t afford to run in the NASCAR Cup Series anymore

“We just simply can’t afford it. Right? Like, it’s—to run every week and own a charter and do it correctly. I feel like for me personally, where I’m at in life and the things I’ve done, I don’t want to be there unless I can try to compete.”

BJ McLeod has always been the type of person to stay competitive. This is why he thinks the sport is all about billionaires now. For him to stay competitive, his cars need to finish in the top 20. Again, that is impossible unless he is able to put forth enough resources in the car and keep it competitive.

McLeod is financially not stable enough to attract the attention of sponsors who believe his team can bring real and meaningful results. Hence, from his perspective, NASCAR is no longer about millionaires. Since they can’t do it all alone anymore. They need to be heavily dependent on sponsors and prove themselves early to earn the attention of the OEMs.