Glover leaving post as NASCAR VP

By Bob Pockrass

Friday, January 04, 2008

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Dick Glover, who was instrumental in the negotiations that brought ESPN and ABC back to NASCAR and who also spearheaded an expansion of NASCAR's Los Angeles office, is leaving his NASCAR post to go work for Funny or Die networks.

Having joined NASCAR in 2003 as vice president of broadcasting and new media, Glover leaves to become the chief executive officer of the internet video portal (www.funnyordie.com), whose ownership group includes actor Will Ferrell.

Paul Brooks, who first opened the Los Angeles office in 2000 and now serves as NASCAR senior vice president and president of NASCAR Broadcasting and NASCAR Digital Entertainment, will oversee that office in the interim while still being based in Charlotte. The office grew in the last five years from about 12-14 people to 24 people today.

"It sounds like a good opportunity, and Dick has always wanted to his own company and lead it, and he's got that opportunity now," Brooks said Thursday. "We'll certainly miss him, and he certainly made significant contributions to the sport that we'll continue to enjoy for a long time.

"We've got a lot of great folks out here that are focused on their areas of the business, so we will be in good shape and use this as an opportunity to chart our path moving forward."

Glover played a key role in managing NASCAR's broadcast rights (domestic and international), internet rights as well as helping market the sport through Hollywood.

Before joining NASCAR, Glover had a lengthy tenure at ESPN and ABC, where he managed all Olympic-related business. Glover was also there for the fledgling years of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine.

Brooks said NASCAR will look from within as well as outside to fill Glover's role.

"We'll be fine in moving forward," Brooks said. "It will be important for us to find the right person to take things forward to, first and foremost, support our broadcast partners. ... Between television ratings and the marketing aspects that television can bring to the sport overall is a priority for all of us."