David Brown

He relaunches the chase with a new twist.

The lowest scoring drivers are eliminated as the chase progresses, raising the stakes in every race.

The reaction is mixed.

Some fans embrace the added drama.

Others complain that the format cheapens the value of the full season, allowing a driver who has dominated for months to lose the championship with a single bad race.

And for newcomers to the sport, the shifting rules and elimination rounds can be hard to follow.

At the same time, NASCAR tries to broaden its appeal.

It shines the spotlight on drivers who graduate from Drive for Diversity, a program aimed at supporting talented drivers from underrepresented backgrounds.

But the initiative sparks backlash among some fans who see it as politics intruding into the sport.

Drivers from the program like Daniel Suarez and Bubba Wallace find themselves having to justify their place on the grid.

And there's little evidence, at least at first, that a more diverse driver pool translates into a more diverse audience.

But while NASCAR tinkers with its product, Formula One is planning a complete overhaul.

Ahead of the 2017 season, F1's new owner Liberty Media commissions a global brand study.

The results are sobering.

Formula One has millions of loyal and passionate fans, but outsiders see the sport as distant, complicated, even intimidating.

It's too technical, too obsessed with engine specs, tire compounds, and aerodynamic minutia.

To many, F1 fandom is dominated by middle-aged men debating gear ratios and fuel strategies.

That image is reinforced by the company Formula One keeps.

Race weekends are saturated with luxury brands promoting watches, champagne, private jets, and financial services, products that most fans can only dream of affording.

For Liberty Media, the brand study's message is clear.