The date is December 1st, 2017. Motorsport pundits and journalists are gathered in a ballroom at the Wynn Las Vegas for a press conference by Brian France. The main consensus is that the NASCAR CEO will announce the new premier sponsor for the Cup Series. Speculation has run rampant with rumors of who this sponsor will be. Some suggest Coca-Cola or one of its subsidiaries because of their long time involvement in NASCAR and other motorsports. Some believe that a big outsider company like American Express might try their hand at NASCAR. But these rumors could not even come close to the actual announcement. On to the stage walked three familiar faces and one unfamiliar foe. Brian France, Mike Helton, reigning champion Jimmie Johnson, and Greg Maffei all take their seats. What followed would be one of the biggest announcements in the sports world in the past decade. It was announced that NASCAR had been sold to Liberty Media. A shocking move as the organization has been owned by the France family since the very beginning. This announcement also had international implications. In September, it was announced that Liberty Media would be purchasing Formula One. But, a failure to finalize the deal led to Liberty backing out and setting their sights elsewhere. Maffei, president and CEO of Liberty Media, stated at the press conference that disagreements with Bernie Ecclestone during the finalization process led the deal to fall apart. Maffei also stated that while F1 is more global, NASCAR showed a greater potential for return of investment. During the conference, it was also announced that Mike Helton would take over as CEO of NASCAR as Brian France would be leaving the sport. He felt that he had done everything he could do with the sport and felt that it was time to give it to someone who could take it further than he could. Helton stated he was thankful for everything that Brian had done and was thankful to Liberty Media for picking him as the new CEO. Helton believed that with their involvement and his experience, that big changes that could grow the sport while ensuring its integrity could be done. Helton also placed emphasis on listening more to the drivers in the decision making process. Jimmie Johnson also made a statement showing his support for the move as he believes it could grow the sport exponentially. The conference wrapped up as they announced that the Cup Series would not have a single premier sponsor but would simply be known as the Cup Series. They also announced a new modern logo for the sport and the series. With this announcement, it was clear that NASCAR had entered a new age.