NASCAR cuts staff as Brickyard 400 nears

NASCAR this month has trimmed its staff, laying off more than 20 employees.

The cuts, which were spearheaded by new Chief Operating Officer Brent Dewar, will affect eight divisions of the stock car series. Though NASCAR officials declined to comment about the cuts, sources close to the series said they are meant to improve efficiencies of the North Carolina-based series.

Dewars, who left General Motors Corp. in January to join NASCAR, has spent six months evaluating staff efficiencies. Those evaluations, series sources said, continue. So the staff cuts may not be done.

NASCAR was one of the few sports entities to add employees during the recent recession, adding about 30 employees to its communications department and another 50 or so to its digital division.

In recent years, NASCAR, like many auto racing circuits including the IndyCar Series, has struggled with declines in live race attendance and television ratings. NASCAR has seen those numbers stabilize a bit, but series honchos hope Dewars’ initiatives can speed up the turnaround.

NASCAR visits the Indianapolis Motor Speedway July 27 for the 21st annual Brickyard 400. This year's race in Indy should not be affected by this month's staff cuts, NASCAR officials said.