Insider claims FOX's 'wickedly smart' decision to buy a stake in Roger Penske's IndyCar was a strategic power play, not just a partnership

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Speed Freak's (Motorsport Radio/TV) Crash Gladys has deemed FOX's decision to buy a stake in IndyCar as 'wickedly smart.' Just like Gladys, several other top motorsport personalities have given their take on the mega deal since its announcement on Thursday.

FOX Corporation has bought a one-third stake in the Roger Penske-led Penske Entertainment, in turn securing one-third control over the IndyCar series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is also believed that the deal was struck around a whopping figure of $135M.

Crash Galdys views this as an extremely smart and strategic move on the part of FOX and has even asserted that the broadcast giants are massively interested in growing America's highest class of open-wheel racing as a major motorsport. Via Speed Freaks, she recently said:

"It is wickedly smart of FOX Sports to get involved at this low valuation because, guess what, they are vested, they are interested right now in growing the sport. I honestly, I don't have a 100% confirmation on this, but I do have people talking in my ear about how some of these things came together. This was given to Roger (Penske) as a proposal shortly after the Indy 500, and he claims his quote in The Wall Street Journal was that this was easy, this was an easy yes."

"So I personally believe that FOX took this on, to Roger and said, you either sell to us, or we're gonna pull the plug. We need to have a bigger decision making process in what you guys are doing," she added.

Roger Penske bought the IndyCar series back in 2019 from the Hulman family for an undisclosed fee and has since kept the sport relevant in the competitive world of motorsports.

While Crash Gladys has given a fascinating take on FOX's move to buy a one-third stake in Penske Entertainment, FOX SPORTS CEO Eric Shanks has also shared his thoughts on the same. Moreover, he has also cast light on how much belief the broadcast giant has in IndyCar.

In an official statement, Shanks said:

"We're thrilled to join the INDYCAR ownership group at such a pivotal time for the sport.... This investment underscores our commitment to motorsports and our belief in INDYCAR's continued growth on and off the track."

The American open-wheel series has been around since the 1920s and has, over the decades, come a long way in terms of its development and interest among the fans.

According to FOX, the sport is averaging a 31% increase in viewership year-over-year, and considering this, it has a bright future ahead. Moreover, now with the additional backing, the growth prospects for the sport as well as for the drivers and teams are going to be exponential.