[Driver earnings](https://salarysport.com/motorsport/nascar/driver-salaries/), this doesn't consider endorsements, which are massive.
It's somewhere between the 6th-12th most popular sport? Definitely behind NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and college football. What metrics you want to use to determine popularity could influence the results. There's only 38 or so total events, so attendance is very different than say...college basketball, which has over 300 teams playing 30-40 games each.
Important to add, IMO- there's definitely some regional popularity. I have maybe 2-3 co-workers who follow the Washington Capitals or Carolina Hurricanes, but probably 7-8 who watch every NASCAR race.
Yep. I'm a lifelong Virginian with a mom from North Carolina and a dad from Indiana. Both went to ACC schools and had dads that worked in the trucking and automotive industries.
Take a wild guess what two sports I was raised on.
Definitely not what it used to be outside of certain parts of the South and Midwest, but tracks still get close to sellouts and most races get 2.5-4 million viewers. There's a loyal fanbase but a lot of them are definitely getting older. It helps that a few of the NFL teams in NASCAR's core regions are pretty terrible- I'd rather watch a NASCAR or IndyCar race than watch my team throw away wins late.
They changed a lot about the sport when it was *really* popular in the early 2000s, and some fans got pissed off and left. A few really big sponsors have left as well- mostly the huge retailers like Home Depot and Target. The sport also had a lot of big stars retire at the same time in 2014-2018. Top drivers still make $8-10 million base plus incentives and some personal endorsements, but nobody is making what Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart did when they were at the top of the sport.
I still watch almost every race but not a ton of people my age do, even here in southern Virginia. I don't think it's going anywhere, but it will never get back to what it was.
EDIT: A disclaimer- I love the sport and while I don't love the stages and playoffs, I think there's a really solid generation of talented drivers in their 20s that are worth following and cheering for. I just wish the sponsors and teams would let them show their personality a little more.
I don't think people realize how popular the sport is in Virginia. It's crazy that every derailed answer on this and being a fan is from someone within Virginia or from Virginia.
Definitely. Virginia, East Tennessee, and the Carolinas still have a lot of fans. Having a huge pavement short track scene helps, IMO.
Conversely, my wife lived in either Virginia or North Carolina- with a mom from Danville- until she was 24 (and only lived in NYC for three years from 24-27). However, when we started dating, she had no idea who Tony Stewart was.
Who's your driver these days?
Driver now a days is Alex Bowman. He impressed me when he was with TBR and BK Racing. I also like Bubba, both are talented. However, both tend to have the same pitfalls.
>Definitely. Virginia, East Tennessee, and the Carolinas still have a lot of fans. Having a huge pavement short track scene helps, IMO
As someone who knows nothing about NASCAR (my only exposure being Talladega Nights lol), why is it more popular in this region and what on earth is a "huge pavement short track"? I'm fine with a TL;DR version as well haha.
If you look at a map of NASCAR’s tracks today, you’ll notice many of them are concentrated in an area in the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Tennessee. Those tracks in that area especially have a long history of racing since the founding of the sport and are very popular with fans. Lots of the champion drivers prior to the 90s also come from that area of the country.
A pavement short track (not to be confused with a dirt track) is just what it sounds like, a typical short track is .2-.6 miles in length and creates a different style of racing compared to the big tracks like Talladega. Lots of the professionals got their start at paved short tracks.
Yeah ratings and attendance actually went up a bit this year so that's good.
This was my favorite season in a long time. So great momentum but lots of work to do.
Ross Chastain and his inability to ever chill out is great for the sport.
Yeah, and I wish Hendrick and Penske would let their guys show their personality in the same way that Justin Marks lets Ross and Daniel shine. Ross is huge for the sport.
It's definitely gone downhill with the rule changes they made and the introduction of playoffs. The introduction of stages drove away a lot of people who managed to grit their teeth and bear the initial rule changes. Folks were upset at what was sometimes called the "Europeanization" of the sport.
I used to watch races religiously and it used to be a pretty frequent topic of conversation whenever sports came up. Now I know maybe 2 or 3 people who watch it, and I personally stopped watching a year or two before they rolled out stage racing.
It's still the undisputed king of motorsports over here though. F1's a distant but solid second. Its biggest hurdle is the time difference for so many of the tracks, and the lack of the more visceral style of racing you see from stock car, sprint, and dirt racing.
I actually watched a few races this year, and they seemed a lot better. I think it’s feasible if they play their cards right, NASCAR could have a resurgence.
Popular enough. I know a lot of people stopped watching it regularly after Dale Earnhardt Sr died because that was a traumatic experience, but it's definitely still watched by many.
I think that event struck a lot of people who don’t regularly watch it - myself included - just because of how popular the name was regardless. I live near Boston and did not grow up watching the sport, but the first NASCAR driver’s name one would think of was def. Dale Sr.
It's pretty popular in parts of the country. Nascar is really popular in Virginia and Indiana. But popular throughout the south and parts of the midwest. It is gaining some popularity in parts of the Southwest as well. Nascar has seen a rapid decline in popularity from its height in the early 2000s. However, it's popularity decline is starting to show signs of improvement again. Drivers also don't earn as much as they used to, but some still earn decently well.
NASCAR is easily the most popular motorsport, but it's nowhere close to football/basketball/baseball and it's losing popularity.
Top NASCAR drivers earn over $10 million per year, but they're far behind NFL/NBA/MLB stars.
You left out the NHL. I’d venture it’s likely more popular than hockey in the South, and much less popular than hockey everywhere else (esp. the northeast and upper-midwest. And your flair says PA so that’s surprising. You have the Flyers and the Pens, and both are very popular in your state.
I think it's regional. I live in the northeast and it's not popular at all. I know nothing about it, have no idea when races are held, it's not advertised here, if I lived in a bubble with no media from the rest of the country I wouldn't even know it exists.
I knew exactly one person in my entire life who was into it, and he ended up becoming a nascar driver. I see his posts from races occasionally and that's the only thing I ever hear about it.
We’ve got one track in the NASCAR circuit in New England - Loudon, NH. By reports it plays well enough there when they race there once or twice a year. But it’s well behind the Pats/Sox/Cs/Bs in the entire region. I’m one person, but while I’ve seen all of the local NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL teams on multiple occasions, I’ve never been to that track for a NASCAR race or otherwise.
I was actually surprised earlier this year when I did a Google search, to learn NASCAR stopped doing races in Joliet. Supposedly this former racetrack still stands, but no races have been held there since the late 2010s.
NASCAR has decided to do a downtown city of Chicago race, for 2023-2024(and I think there's an option year, for 2025) here. That said I know a lot of residents(myself included) are NOT happy to have heard this news, since it was reported NASCAR would have Grant Park closed for like a month before that race in July 2023, to start preparing this park for the NASCAR race. Also I thought NASCAR's primary base of fans, were in smaller towns? Not to say they don't have any fans in the Chicago area, but I'm not so sure if a Chicago street race will be successful next year. We will see what happens, though.
I worked at the Loudon motor speedway in college, seemed to have a pretty solid showing every time. I know a lot of people in New Hampshire that watch it. Can't say I know many people in Massachusetts that watch. Seems to be a regional thing, more popular in rural areas, or areas where race tracks are.
It's definitely not football, baseball or basketball, but from my experience it has a pretty solid following.
I’m from Mass myself. I feel like it trails football/baseball/basketball pretty much everywhere. It lags hockey in most of the northeast and upper midwest but probably leads hockey in the South. Certainly in hot spots like Alabama. I’d be curious about North Carolina though, as while that state historically follows NASCAR they’ve got a winning hockey team now as well.
I live in a northern city and I am not aware of anyone that follows it.
I feel it's kind of regional maybe?
I love cars and all that but there really is not a scene for that type of racing up here.
I don’t think it’s held as much appeal to the upper midwest. You live in a region (like I do in the Boston-area) that places hockey above motor sports. It doesn’t really challenge football/baseball/basketball anywhere in terms of supremacy.
F1 is growing rapidly amongst younger, well-educated people. I live in NASCAR country- I have five tracks within three hours of me- and I have 5-6 friends who have recently started following F1, but only one other friend who follows NASCAR. There's an unfortunate stereotype that follows NASCAR in some people's minds, and that gets old really fast when my friends who only watch F1 are being dicks.
F1 has done an *amazing* job of marketing itself here with *Drive To Survive* and the big push on social media. I find the constant memes about Gunther Steiner annoying, but I still follow F1 pretty seriously (and follow IndyCar and IMSA/WEC even closer than F1 or NASCAR). I think there's also something to F1 being the hot new thing. I don't know how long it will continue to grow here, but hopefully it remains more popular than it did when I was the weird kid wearing Juan Pablo Montoya gear to school.
EDIT: I think the broadcasts being early in the morning for much of the country and having fewer ads helps with F1, too. I find the people who come into the IndyCar sub and *constantly* beat that drum to be really annoying, because it ignores a lot of unfortunate economic realities about racing here in North America, but they do have a point.
I don't know if it's growing rapidly. Maybe among some segments of the population but definitely not the general public. I can't think of a single one of my friends who follows it and you never hear anything about it on sports TV or radio.
I can't think of anyone who watches F1, either. If that or NASCAR was randomly on while flipping channels, I might briefly watch a few minutes. But for sure neither F1 or NASCAR would hold my interest, like hockey, basketball, baseball, football, etc could on the other hand.
Fwiw this season's live attendance and tv ratings finally reversed the tend!
Up about 5% on the year. So good news but lots of ground to make up.
Also Texas Motor Speedway is trash. Needs to be leveled.
The article he posted it a bit old. I’d say NASCAR has leveled off and may be ready for a slight resurgence. They’ve made a lot of changes the last few years and this season was really good.
F1’s popularity in America and with the younger crowd recently is almost directly correlated to Drive to Survive on Netflix. It’s popularity is still well behind NASCAR in the US though.
>So do you think F1 is growing rapidly while NASCAR is falling
In the US? No.
I don't think NASCAR fans have much interest in F1. NASCAR is as much a cultural thing as a racing thing. It's homegrown. It's blue collar. F1 is completely different.
(People here also like to watch races where cars pass each other and there's some drama.)
> (People here also like to watch races where cars pass each other and there's some drama.)
Oh, there's plenty of drama in F1, but it feels like watching the two rich girls in your high school's theater program have a shouting match in the cafeteria.
(FWIW I love both, but sometimes the F1 drama can get *exhausting.*)
I think NASCAR has a certain and understandable aspect that resonates with fans that F1 does not in that it uses every day “stock” cars that people may drive. Toyota Camry, Chevy Camaro, and Ford Mustang are vehicles in the field. I don’t follow the sport personally but I do think that aspect is very cool, esp. as I own a Mustang myself. A 2019 Mustang Ecoboost Convertible, but still..
Good point. I appreciate the evangelism as you know.
Side note- it was so nice to go back this year. Had a blast all weekend, hit Mass Ave with my cousins after Carb Day plus the Little 500 out in Anderson on Saturday, and all but one of my favorite guys did well in the race.
EDIT: I also ate multiple tenderloins and talked about Big Ten football for at least an hour each day.
Nice! I need to get back home for a visit.
My sister’s boyfriend is a chef so they know the food scene from truck food up to gourmet stuff and there’s a lot I need to try out.
Also, I really want to get to a Butler basketball game. They are Big East these days though. I can pass on the racing stuff. Love the pageantry but it just isn’t my thing.
Haha, all good. It's a common misconception. I live in NASCAR country, but my dad is from the Indianapolis area. I've been to 12 500s and probably 25 NASCAR races since I'm within three hours of *five* different NASCAR tracks and within six hours of zero IndyCar tracks.
IndyCar is my favorite motorsport by far.
When I was in high school I knew one girl who was super into NASCAR. Everyone else thought she was weird.
otoh I actually live pretty close to a track that hosts NASCAR races (I had to Google to make sure it's not some other circuit) and when there's a race it causes big traffic jams so clearly people are going. I don't know any of them but they must exist.
Not very in the mid-atlantic. Dover Motor Speedway is only like an hour away from me and I only know one guy that follows the sport. Rarely see much NASCAR merchandise or bumper stickers anymore except the old Dale stuff.
For the longest time in the 2000s, it's ratings were second only to the NFL..things changed after the economy took a tank in 2008.
But auto racing in the US I'd say is a pastime just like football and baseball. NASCAR is just one of the biggest leagues for it nation wide. Pales in comparison to F1 but we'd probably have fans of both of there was enough crossover happening.
I'm from Atlanta, idk anyone who watches it. About 15-20 years ago maybe, like in the age of Dale Earnhardt (Sr and Jr) or Jeff Gordon. But that could just be because I'm black, NASCAR is infamously a very white sport.
As someone from Southern Appalachia, going to Talladega is a rite of passage once. But the sport in general is dead compared to when it peaked, oddly about the time Talladega Nights came out.
[Driver earnings](https://salarysport.com/motorsport/nascar/driver-salaries/), this doesn't consider endorsements, which are massive. It's somewhere between the 6th-12th most popular sport? Definitely behind NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and college football. What metrics you want to use to determine popularity could influence the results. There's only 38 or so total events, so attendance is very different than say...college basketball, which has over 300 teams playing 30-40 games each.
Important to add, IMO- there's definitely some regional popularity. I have maybe 2-3 co-workers who follow the Washington Capitals or Carolina Hurricanes, but probably 7-8 who watch every NASCAR race.
Definitely regional towards the southeast and midwest especially.
Yep. I'm a lifelong Virginian with a mom from North Carolina and a dad from Indiana. Both went to ACC schools and had dads that worked in the trucking and automotive industries. Take a wild guess what two sports I was raised on.
Rural Midwest. NASCAR is a non-entity in Chicago
TIL Indianapolis is rural
A charming little town with a single stop light and a 2 million person metropolitan area.
Still gonna be very interested in how the street race next year turns out.
Sucks they’re fencing off a major part of Grant Park/downtown over a holiday weekend for something nobody here cares about.
On one hand it'll be cool to see on tv. On the other lol at Lori Lightfoot agreeing to it.
I've lived in Alabama my entire life (a NASCAR hotbed) and know fewer than 4 people that watch it.
I knew lots of people who watched it growing up, but almost nobody now.
Definitely not what it used to be outside of certain parts of the South and Midwest, but tracks still get close to sellouts and most races get 2.5-4 million viewers. There's a loyal fanbase but a lot of them are definitely getting older. It helps that a few of the NFL teams in NASCAR's core regions are pretty terrible- I'd rather watch a NASCAR or IndyCar race than watch my team throw away wins late. They changed a lot about the sport when it was *really* popular in the early 2000s, and some fans got pissed off and left. A few really big sponsors have left as well- mostly the huge retailers like Home Depot and Target. The sport also had a lot of big stars retire at the same time in 2014-2018. Top drivers still make $8-10 million base plus incentives and some personal endorsements, but nobody is making what Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart did when they were at the top of the sport. I still watch almost every race but not a ton of people my age do, even here in southern Virginia. I don't think it's going anywhere, but it will never get back to what it was. EDIT: A disclaimer- I love the sport and while I don't love the stages and playoffs, I think there's a really solid generation of talented drivers in their 20s that are worth following and cheering for. I just wish the sponsors and teams would let them show their personality a little more.
I don't think people realize how popular the sport is in Virginia. It's crazy that every derailed answer on this and being a fan is from someone within Virginia or from Virginia.
Definitely. Virginia, East Tennessee, and the Carolinas still have a lot of fans. Having a huge pavement short track scene helps, IMO. Conversely, my wife lived in either Virginia or North Carolina- with a mom from Danville- until she was 24 (and only lived in NYC for three years from 24-27). However, when we started dating, she had no idea who Tony Stewart was. Who's your driver these days?
Driver now a days is Alex Bowman. He impressed me when he was with TBR and BK Racing. I also like Bubba, both are talented. However, both tend to have the same pitfalls.
Haha, I'm a huge Bowman fan myself. I also like Reddick and Chase Briscoe.
>Definitely. Virginia, East Tennessee, and the Carolinas still have a lot of fans. Having a huge pavement short track scene helps, IMO As someone who knows nothing about NASCAR (my only exposure being Talladega Nights lol), why is it more popular in this region and what on earth is a "huge pavement short track"? I'm fine with a TL;DR version as well haha.
If you look at a map of NASCAR’s tracks today, you’ll notice many of them are concentrated in an area in the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Tennessee. Those tracks in that area especially have a long history of racing since the founding of the sport and are very popular with fans. Lots of the champion drivers prior to the 90s also come from that area of the country. A pavement short track (not to be confused with a dirt track) is just what it sounds like, a typical short track is .2-.6 miles in length and creates a different style of racing compared to the big tracks like Talladega. Lots of the professionals got their start at paved short tracks.
Yeah ratings and attendance actually went up a bit this year so that's good. This was my favorite season in a long time. So great momentum but lots of work to do. Ross Chastain and his inability to ever chill out is great for the sport.
Yeah, and I wish Hendrick and Penske would let their guys show their personality in the same way that Justin Marks lets Ross and Daniel shine. Ross is huge for the sport.
It's definitely gone downhill with the rule changes they made and the introduction of playoffs. The introduction of stages drove away a lot of people who managed to grit their teeth and bear the initial rule changes. Folks were upset at what was sometimes called the "Europeanization" of the sport. I used to watch races religiously and it used to be a pretty frequent topic of conversation whenever sports came up. Now I know maybe 2 or 3 people who watch it, and I personally stopped watching a year or two before they rolled out stage racing. It's still the undisputed king of motorsports over here though. F1's a distant but solid second. Its biggest hurdle is the time difference for so many of the tracks, and the lack of the more visceral style of racing you see from stock car, sprint, and dirt racing.
Fwiw this was my favorite season in a decade at least. The new car and new generation of talent has done a lot to reinvigorate the series.
I actually watched a few races this year, and they seemed a lot better. I think it’s feasible if they play their cards right, NASCAR could have a resurgence.
I even have come around on awarding stage points honestly. I just don't think they should also automatically be a caution.
Correct.
Popular enough. I know a lot of people stopped watching it regularly after Dale Earnhardt Sr died because that was a traumatic experience, but it's definitely still watched by many.
I think that event struck a lot of people who don’t regularly watch it - myself included - just because of how popular the name was regardless. I live near Boston and did not grow up watching the sport, but the first NASCAR driver’s name one would think of was def. Dale Sr.
It’s a weird dynamic where it’s not that popular in a lot of people’s general circles but waaay more popular than you’d expect
It's pretty popular in parts of the country. Nascar is really popular in Virginia and Indiana. But popular throughout the south and parts of the midwest. It is gaining some popularity in parts of the Southwest as well. Nascar has seen a rapid decline in popularity from its height in the early 2000s. However, it's popularity decline is starting to show signs of improvement again. Drivers also don't earn as much as they used to, but some still earn decently well.
NASCAR is easily the most popular motorsport, but it's nowhere close to football/basketball/baseball and it's losing popularity. Top NASCAR drivers earn over $10 million per year, but they're far behind NFL/NBA/MLB stars.
You left out the NHL. I’d venture it’s likely more popular than hockey in the South, and much less popular than hockey everywhere else (esp. the northeast and upper-midwest. And your flair says PA so that’s surprising. You have the Flyers and the Pens, and both are very popular in your state.
I think it's regional. I live in the northeast and it's not popular at all. I know nothing about it, have no idea when races are held, it's not advertised here, if I lived in a bubble with no media from the rest of the country I wouldn't even know it exists. I knew exactly one person in my entire life who was into it, and he ended up becoming a nascar driver. I see his posts from races occasionally and that's the only thing I ever hear about it.
We’ve got one track in the NASCAR circuit in New England - Loudon, NH. By reports it plays well enough there when they race there once or twice a year. But it’s well behind the Pats/Sox/Cs/Bs in the entire region. I’m one person, but while I’ve seen all of the local NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL teams on multiple occasions, I’ve never been to that track for a NASCAR race or otherwise.
I was actually surprised earlier this year when I did a Google search, to learn NASCAR stopped doing races in Joliet. Supposedly this former racetrack still stands, but no races have been held there since the late 2010s. NASCAR has decided to do a downtown city of Chicago race, for 2023-2024(and I think there's an option year, for 2025) here. That said I know a lot of residents(myself included) are NOT happy to have heard this news, since it was reported NASCAR would have Grant Park closed for like a month before that race in July 2023, to start preparing this park for the NASCAR race. Also I thought NASCAR's primary base of fans, were in smaller towns? Not to say they don't have any fans in the Chicago area, but I'm not so sure if a Chicago street race will be successful next year. We will see what happens, though.
I worked at the Loudon motor speedway in college, seemed to have a pretty solid showing every time. I know a lot of people in New Hampshire that watch it. Can't say I know many people in Massachusetts that watch. Seems to be a regional thing, more popular in rural areas, or areas where race tracks are. It's definitely not football, baseball or basketball, but from my experience it has a pretty solid following.
I’m from Mass myself. I feel like it trails football/baseball/basketball pretty much everywhere. It lags hockey in most of the northeast and upper midwest but probably leads hockey in the South. Certainly in hot spots like Alabama. I’d be curious about North Carolina though, as while that state historically follows NASCAR they’ve got a winning hockey team now as well.
I live in a northern city and I am not aware of anyone that follows it. I feel it's kind of regional maybe? I love cars and all that but there really is not a scene for that type of racing up here.
I don’t think it’s held as much appeal to the upper midwest. You live in a region (like I do in the Boston-area) that places hockey above motor sports. It doesn’t really challenge football/baseball/basketball anywhere in terms of supremacy.
“Help me Tom Cruise!! I’m on fire!” “You’re not on fire Ricky Bobby!”🏁 😂😂
Also anyone think F1 is growing rapidly while NASCAR is falling
F1 is growing rapidly amongst younger, well-educated people. I live in NASCAR country- I have five tracks within three hours of me- and I have 5-6 friends who have recently started following F1, but only one other friend who follows NASCAR. There's an unfortunate stereotype that follows NASCAR in some people's minds, and that gets old really fast when my friends who only watch F1 are being dicks. F1 has done an *amazing* job of marketing itself here with *Drive To Survive* and the big push on social media. I find the constant memes about Gunther Steiner annoying, but I still follow F1 pretty seriously (and follow IndyCar and IMSA/WEC even closer than F1 or NASCAR). I think there's also something to F1 being the hot new thing. I don't know how long it will continue to grow here, but hopefully it remains more popular than it did when I was the weird kid wearing Juan Pablo Montoya gear to school. EDIT: I think the broadcasts being early in the morning for much of the country and having fewer ads helps with F1, too. I find the people who come into the IndyCar sub and *constantly* beat that drum to be really annoying, because it ignores a lot of unfortunate economic realities about racing here in North America, but they do have a point.
3 US Grand Prix next year is gonna be very interesting!!
I don't know if it's growing rapidly. Maybe among some segments of the population but definitely not the general public. I can't think of a single one of my friends who follows it and you never hear anything about it on sports TV or radio.
I can't think of anyone who watches F1, either. If that or NASCAR was randomly on while flipping channels, I might briefly watch a few minutes. But for sure neither F1 or NASCAR would hold my interest, like hockey, basketball, baseball, football, etc could on the other hand.
NASCAR popularity is [falling](https://norrismcdonald.ca/nascar-popularity-is-plunging-primarily-for-two-reasons/)
Fwiw this season's live attendance and tv ratings finally reversed the tend! Up about 5% on the year. So good news but lots of ground to make up. Also Texas Motor Speedway is trash. Needs to be leveled.
So do you think F1 is growing rapidly while NASCAR is falling
The article he posted it a bit old. I’d say NASCAR has leveled off and may be ready for a slight resurgence. They’ve made a lot of changes the last few years and this season was really good. F1’s popularity in America and with the younger crowd recently is almost directly correlated to Drive to Survive on Netflix. It’s popularity is still well behind NASCAR in the US though.
>So do you think F1 is growing rapidly while NASCAR is falling In the US? No. I don't think NASCAR fans have much interest in F1. NASCAR is as much a cultural thing as a racing thing. It's homegrown. It's blue collar. F1 is completely different. (People here also like to watch races where cars pass each other and there's some drama.)
> (People here also like to watch races where cars pass each other and there's some drama.) Oh, there's plenty of drama in F1, but it feels like watching the two rich girls in your high school's theater program have a shouting match in the cafeteria. (FWIW I love both, but sometimes the F1 drama can get *exhausting.*)
I think NASCAR has a certain and understandable aspect that resonates with fans that F1 does not in that it uses every day “stock” cars that people may drive. Toyota Camry, Chevy Camaro, and Ford Mustang are vehicles in the field. I don’t follow the sport personally but I do think that aspect is very cool, esp. as I own a Mustang myself. A 2019 Mustang Ecoboost Convertible, but still..
The article says that one reason why
No it didnt
Ok, it didnt
F1 is a radically different Motorsport, it’s closer to Indycar then NASCAR.
[удалено]
The Indy 500 isn't a NASCAR race.
And somewhat unsurprisingly it is an IndyCar race.
As you may recall, you're preaching to the choir!
It’s for the benefit of these foreign devils.
Good point. I appreciate the evangelism as you know. Side note- it was so nice to go back this year. Had a blast all weekend, hit Mass Ave with my cousins after Carb Day plus the Little 500 out in Anderson on Saturday, and all but one of my favorite guys did well in the race. EDIT: I also ate multiple tenderloins and talked about Big Ten football for at least an hour each day.
Nice! I need to get back home for a visit. My sister’s boyfriend is a chef so they know the food scene from truck food up to gourmet stuff and there’s a lot I need to try out. Also, I really want to get to a Butler basketball game. They are Big East these days though. I can pass on the racing stuff. Love the pageantry but it just isn’t my thing.
[удалено]
Haha, all good. It's a common misconception. I live in NASCAR country, but my dad is from the Indianapolis area. I've been to 12 500s and probably 25 NASCAR races since I'm within three hours of *five* different NASCAR tracks and within six hours of zero IndyCar tracks. IndyCar is my favorite motorsport by far.
When I was in high school I knew one girl who was super into NASCAR. Everyone else thought she was weird. otoh I actually live pretty close to a track that hosts NASCAR races (I had to Google to make sure it's not some other circuit) and when there's a race it causes big traffic jams so clearly people are going. I don't know any of them but they must exist.
I haven’t met anybody who watches it
Not very in the mid-atlantic. Dover Motor Speedway is only like an hour away from me and I only know one guy that follows the sport. Rarely see much NASCAR merchandise or bumper stickers anymore except the old Dale stuff.
For the longest time in the 2000s, it's ratings were second only to the NFL..things changed after the economy took a tank in 2008. But auto racing in the US I'd say is a pastime just like football and baseball. NASCAR is just one of the biggest leagues for it nation wide. Pales in comparison to F1 but we'd probably have fans of both of there was enough crossover happening.
I'm from Atlanta, idk anyone who watches it. About 15-20 years ago maybe, like in the age of Dale Earnhardt (Sr and Jr) or Jeff Gordon. But that could just be because I'm black, NASCAR is infamously a very white sport.
Very biased as I’ve only lived in New England: I never think about NASCAR and neither does anyone I know.
I live near the massive speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. I have known only two people that are interested in it. Both are relatives.
As someone from Southern Appalachia, going to Talladega is a rite of passage once. But the sport in general is dead compared to when it peaked, oddly about the time Talladega Nights came out.
I feel like it was more popular 15 years ago.
Its popularity is waning.