191 replies to this topic

[August]

To me it seems strange that NASCAR is the most watched motorsport in the USA. I don't want to dismiss NASCAR, I watch races occasionally but don't really think it's the most interesting motorsport in the States.

I might be a bit biased as an open-wheel fan but IndyCar as a faster series just feels like it's how fast you can go on ovals, NASCAR isn't that.

Obviously having races every weekend gives it attention even though I'd find it exhausting. The CART/IRL split helped NASCAR but hadn't NASCAR surpassed CART already before that or at least catching? So what makes it so appealing to American people?

[Ross Stonefeld]

American manufacturers, American drivers, the oval/stock car crowd tends to treat their fans(customers) better, it's more affordable, etc.

 

I find it interesting that in a lot(most?) motorsport countries the strongest national series is some sort of production based racing. By production I mean non-single seater

 

America - NASCAR

UK - BTCC

Germany - DTM

Australia - V8 Supercars

Japan - Super Formula and Japanese GT seem about equal?

[Risil]

So "Why is F1 so popular?" might be the more pertinent question, you mean.

[F1matt]

From a European perspective it looks like Nascar give the fans what they want in terms of media access, tracks with good vantage points and very accessible superstars who care about their fans. It's quite an open sport, I remember Montoya saying there are four or five drivers who can win in F1 but in Nascar there were around 25 who can win on the day.

[August]

I find it interesting that in a lot(most?) motorsport countries the strongest national series is some sort of production based racing. By production I mean non-single seater

America - NASCAR
UK - BTCC
Germany - DTM
Australia - V8 Supercars
Japan - Super Formula and Japanese GT seem about equal?

Factory involvement plus national single-seaters being mostly a junior series with the exception of Japan might explain that.

But what's different with NASCAR is that everywhere else F1 is the big thing but in the USA NASCAR and IndyCar are ahead.

So "Why is F1 so popular?" might be the more pertinent question, you mean.

Had NASCAR been my first interest in motorsports, I might wonder that.

Edited by August, 24 September 2014 - 20:26.

[Atreiu]

Don't forget bump/contact racing and occasionally The Big One, if we have to be totally honest about it.

[KWSN - DSM]

NASCAR is clearly the most covered motorsport in the US, I do not doubt it is the most popular in the US. Reasons being part of what have been mentioned above already, and then the fact that the 'media' absolutely forcefeedram NASCAR down our throats, coverage is wide and loud if you can not avoid it, you will follow. NASCAR do suffer from the same leaving of bums in the seats that we are discussing when talking F1, but not nearly to the extent it happens in F1.

 

Close racing, contact and yes The Big One are part of it, as is the Southern Origins of the sport, the passion with which the Southerners (now generalzing naturally) embrace NASCAR as their thing can not be underestimated, money talks and money talks loudly in The Exited States.

 

They are however feeling an economic crunch as well and the next generation drivers needs to make an impact on Joe Public as Jimmy, Jeff and Dale JR which may tough ones to follow, bland and corporate is in the future of NASCAR as well.

 

For the foreseeable future NASCAR will be THE motorsport in the US.

 

[Ross Stonefeld]

But what's different with NASCAR is that everywhere else F1 is the big thing but in the USA NASCAR and IndyCar are ahead.
 

 

Indycar and F1 are about equal. But F1 has no American teams, no American drivers, is on at the worst possible time(Tv-wise) and has to go up against NASCAR which offers everything F1 doesn't. It's going to be insanely difficult for any outside sport to get recognition in America. It's not ignorance, it's competition.

[OvDrone]

Because it's fun.

[nosecone]

Why is Nascar so populare???

 

 

 

• Because NASCAR doesn't care about being green: F1 does care about being green

 

• Because NASCAR isn't a hypocrite about  being green: F1 does reduce the bhp to be green but on the other side they have ever more fly-away races( every flight from EU to NY requires more fuel than F1 does in 1 Season) thus F1 is hypocritical about beeing green

 

• Becaue NASCAR listens to fans

 

• Because NASCAR has the better coverage (at least in Germany): the commentators are real fun (btw you can chose between the German commentary and the one from TNT or so) if the race is boring they try to find out which tower in Chicago is the sears tower

 

• Because NASCAR doesn't give a freaking **** about what is talked on the team radio

 

• Because there is no track limit violation. U know: walls

 

• Because there is V8

 

• Because there is patriotism

 

• Because there is Joooooney

 

• Because there is BK (ok that's an argument against watching Nascar)

 

• Because there is a race every weekend (Football is that popular because you can have it every weekend)

 

• Because as a fan you don't have to care about politics (engine freeze never heard of)

 

• There is no "driver x under investigation for... "- they are men not pussies

 

• because there are also pussies not only men

Edited by nosecone, 24 September 2014 - 21:03.

[RosannaG]

 

Why is Nascar so populare???

 

 

 

• Because NASCAR doesn't care about being green: F1 does care about being green

 

• Because NASCAR isn't a hypocrite about  being green: F1 does reduce the bhp to be green but on the other side they have ever more fly-away races( every flight from EU to NY requires more fuel than F1 does in 1 Season) thus F1 is hypocritical about beeing green

 

• Becaue NASCAR listens to fans

 

• Because NASCAR has the better coverage (at least in Germany): the commentators are real fun (btw you can chose between the German commentary and the one from TNT or so) if the race is boring they try to find out which tower in Chicago is the sears tower

 

• Because NASCAR doesn't give a freaking **** about what is talked on the team radio

 

• Because there is no track limit violation. U know: walls

 

• Because there is V8

 

• Because there is patriotism

 

• Because there is Joooooney

 

• Because there is BK (ok that's an argument against watching Nascar)

 

• Because there is a race every weekend (Football is that popular because you can have it every weekend)

 

• Because as a fan you don't have to care about politics (engine freeze never heard of)

 

• There is no "driver x under investigation for... "- they are men not pussies

 

• because there are also pussies not only men

 

 

I could not agree more. 

[Ross Stonefeld]

Every car is basically the same. There's more differences in the engines than the chassis.

 

They've fined drivers for what they've said. And even what they've said over the radio to their teams.

 

You can come up with a laundry list of complaints about NASCAR, they're just different complaints from F1.

[jonpollak]

Don't you DARE diss my Krashloweski.

[JHSingo]

Hasn't NASCAR recently been going through a large drop off in numbers of people watching on TV/attending races?

 

Maybe a better question would be: Why was NASCAR so popular?

 

That said, it is without doubt still king of the hill when it comes to motor racing in the States.

[Fastcake]

The last thing I heard was that Nascar was starting to suffer a drop-off in spectator/viewer numbers. Popular motorsport series are suffering across the board.

 

Edit: Ninja'd.

Edited by Fastcake, 24 September 2014 - 22:05.

[nosecone]

Don't you DARE diss my Krashloweski.

You don't want to see my face when BK was in the wall last weekend

 

(well... he came back but **** happens)

[Nustang70]

According to a Harris Poll in 2013, 7% of Americans consider auto racing their favorite sport.  Nascar is, of course, the juggernaut in American auto racing, so the lion's share of that 7% probably goes for Nascar.

 

The three demographics that auto racing scored the highest with were:  

-people that live in rural areas

-people with household incomes lower than $35,000

-people without a high school diploma

[Lee Nicolle]

Americans are force fed Nascar. It is an interesting and entertaining branch of motorsport though  hardly serious!  Very stage managed and choreographed. Just like V8 Supercars here in Oz. 

Though way too expensive with cars that have no resemblance too cars.

Though F1 with its cringeworthy and stupidly expensive 'green' crap is making itself obsolete.

Nascar style racing has been tried elsewhere with mixed results. Bob Jane has an empty dome on the Calder Highway.

[scheivlak]

According to a Harris Poll in 2013, 7% of Americans consider auto racing their favorite sport.  Nascar is, of course, the juggernaut in American auto racing, so the lion's share of that 7% probably goes for Nascar.

 

The three demographics that auto racing scored the highest with were:  

-people that live in rural areas

-people with household incomes lower than $35,000

-people without a high school diploma

Another interesting one  - "Sports you follow" http://www.harrisint...p_6.11.2014.pdf p.2: 

Auto racing is followed by 8% of the 'Millennials' (18-36 years), 16% of the 'Gen Xers' (37-48), 19% of the 'Baby Boomers' (49-67) and 23% of the 'Matures' (68+)

 

Telling, in a way. 

[Ross Stonefeld]

Seriously? Millennials are that wide an age range? There's a HUGE difference betwen 18 and 36. What happened to Generation Y? I thought Millenials were like, fairly young.

 

The idea that the US is force fed NASCAR is funny. It's supply and demand.

[scheivlak]

Seriously? Millennials are that wide an age range? There's a HUGE difference betwen 18 and 36. What happened to Generation Y? I thought Millenials were like, fairly young.

 

I found that funny too. First thing I thought was that the guy who wrote this was at least on the other side of 36.

Edited by scheivlak, 24 September 2014 - 22:52.

[Ali_G]

Because Bill France played Tony George for the fool he is. Simple as that.

[LORDBYRON]

It really isnt as cut and dry as it sounds though. They have many rules and laws of NASCAR that prohibits them from doing something on the track. But other than that it is an amazing SPORT. It has the competition, the adrenaline rush, the amazing fans. Everything that people consider 'sports' have. It is more than just 43 drivers driving in an oval. It is 43 drivers running 180 mph, two inches away from the other driver trying to make sure they dont wreck. Beating somebody to the finish line by .00005 seconds. Its a thrill. Unlike in football, ohh the ball is at this line, oh man its now at this line. Whoopee they got a field goal.

Edited by iii, 24 September 2014 - 23:04.

[Nustang70]

Seriously? Millennials are that wide an age range? There's a HUGE difference betwen 18 and 36. What happened to Generation Y? I thought Millenials were like, fairly young.

 

The idea that the US is force fed NASCAR is funny. It's supply and demand.

What happened to Generation Y?  It got subsumed into the Millennials cohort.  The starting birth year is conventionally taken at 1980-1982, so perhaps the survey was drawn up by a hip 36 year old.  

[Nustang70]

Another interesting one  - "Sports you follow" http://www.harrisint...p_6.11.2014.pdf p.2: 

Auto racing is followed by 8% of the 'Millennials' (18-36 years), 16% of the 'Gen Xers' (37-48), 19% of the 'Baby Boomers' (49-67) and 23% of the 'Matures' (68+)

 

Telling, in a way. 

 

Indeed.  The declining interest among successive generations seems to be what Formula E is trying to combat.  

 

However, a smaller proportion of Millennials follow almost all sports than Americans as a whole, with basketball, soccer, and boxing being the exceptions.  Motorsports' drop is worse than most though: 47% fewer Millennials watch motorsport than Americans in total, compared with  22% less for pro baseball, 20% less for pro football, 50% less for golf, and 86%(!) for horse racing.  

Edited by Nustang70, 24 September 2014 - 23:50.

[discover23]

Hasn't NASCAR recently been going through a large drop off in numbers of people watching on TV/attending races?

Maybe a better question would be: Why was NASCAR so popular?

That said, it is without doubt still king of the hill when it comes to motor racing in the States.

That is me. I stopped watching after Montoya left the series - correlate this with Montoya being named the most popular driver in the Indycar series this year.

Now that Ambrose is leaving I wonder if more people would stop watching NASCR next year.
Diversity is always important factor to increase popularity.

[MattPete]

Hell if I know.

 

I've heard all the arguments, and they just don't ring true for me.  As a young boy growing up in the mountains of East Tennessee, I discovered ESPN.  There I got to watch exotica such as IMSA GTP (one of my first memories was Corvette vs. BMW GTP*).  Later, I discovered F1 and Indy Cars (caveat: at age 11 when I lived in Ohio, I was classmates with Megan Truman, whose father owned Bobby Rahal's Indycar team).  These cars were swoopy and fast!  They looked like fighter jets, or like the exotic cars (Countach, BMW M1) I had on my walls!

 

And they drove on curvy roads -- just like the curvy mountain roads I would drive on once I got my driver's license!

 

NASCAR: Well, as Irvine would later say, "A bunch of farmers driving around in circles".  I had no interest.  And the cars they drove -- Monte Carlos and Thunderbirds -- there was nothing sexy about that.

 

 

* Junior Johnson, in a C&D/R&T interview thought that GTP was the spiritual descendent of the bootleggers that NASCAR wrapped their legend around.  

[Tsarwash]

 

• because there are also pussies not only men

 

It's attitudes like that that stop me watching Nascar. Describing women by their genitalia seems a bit old fashioned and slightly provincial to me.  

[Disgrace]

Fan accessibility is certainly something that appeals to me, even only as a casual viewer. If I went to a live event, I can expect to get a lot out of the experience whereas perhaps that isn't the case universally.

 

Also driver accessibility.

[Alfisti]

American manufacturers, American drivers, the oval/stock car crowd tends to treat their fans(customers) better, it's more affordable, etc.

 

I find it interesting that in a lot(most?) motorsport countries the strongest national series is some sort of production based racing. By production I mean non-single seater

 

America - NASCAR

UK - BTCC

Germany - DTM

Australia - V8 Supercars

Japan - Super Formula and Japanese GT seem about equal?

 

Even then only NASCAR really competes with the major sports within the market. My theory is that Americans LOVE staged sports, as an expat it feels like NASCAR, NBA and NFL are borderline contrived. All moving parts and chess moves and over coaching and guaranteed close finishes (for the most part). NASCAR does it brilliantly. 

[nordschleife]

 

 

Close racing, contact and yes The Big One are part of it, as is the Southern Origins of the sport, the passion with which the Southerners (now generalzing naturally) embrace NASCAR as their thing can not be underestimated, money talks and money talks loudly in The Exited States.

 

 

 

Is this a reference to the first time or was I paying attention to the wrong referendum?

[whitewaterMkII]

It's attitudes like that that stop me watching Nascar. Describing women by their genitalia seems a bit old fashioned and slightly provincial to me.  

buh bye 

 

I'm totally entertained by this thread, and threads like it, where people that have never or rarely posted in a NASCAR race thread, crawl out of the woodwork to pontificate on a type of racing that they know very little about. Bonus points for 'merica bashing.

Personally, I have family in NASCAR that are owners at the very tippy top, and have been watching/attending NASCAR races since the mid seventies, it's evolved tremendously, and is as professional and run as tight and as well as many F1 teams, and in some cases, much better and more technically advanced. NASCAR is popular now and in the past mainly because it's got personality, it runs major US manufacturers. NASCAR completely blew up I'd say about the mid nineties, and there is no way they could sustain it with the next generation, the Millennials, and their notoriously short attention spans, F1 has much the same problem, I'd say. As for the racing itself, I think it is now about as clean as it can get, NASCAR can no longer 'call' races with the impunity they have in the past, there is too much money on the line, and too much media/internet scrutiny involved to get away with it anymore.

Edited by whitewaterMkII, 25 September 2014 - 03:42.

[nosecone]

It's attitudes like that that stop me watching Nascar. Describing women by their genitalia seems a bit old fashioned and slightly provincial to me.  

 

I used this words because it perfectly fits to the sentence before. Just for fun. If you feel offended i would like to apologize  

[Kalmake]

 

• Because NASCAR doesn't care about being green: F1 does care about being green

http://green.nascar.com/

[Redback]

buh bye 

 

I'm totally entertained by this thread, and threads like it, where people that have never or rarely posted in a NASCAR race thread, crawl out of the woodwork to pontificate on a type of racing that they know very little about. Bonus points for 'merica bashing.

Personally, I have family in NASCAR that are owners at the very tippy top, and have been watching/attending NASCAR races since the mid seventies, it's evolved tremendously, and is as professional and run as tight and as well as many F1 teams, and in some cases, much better and more technically advanced. NASCAR is popular now and in the past mainly because it's got personality, it runs major US manufacturers. NASCAR completely blew up I'd say about the mid nineties, and there is no way they could sustain it with the next generation, the Millennials, and their notoriously short attention spans, F1 has much the same problem, I'd say. As for the racing itself, I think it is now about as clean as it can get, NASCAR can no longer 'call' races with the impunity they have in the past, there is too much money on the line, and too much media/internet scrutiny involved to get away with it anymore.

Examples...?

[V8 Fireworks]

Unlike in football, ohh the ball is at this line, oh man its now at this line. Whoopee they got a field goal.

 

Exciting, yes?

 

I must agree with others that the implosion of Indycar was an own goal, that allowed NASCAR to race away to American circuit racing superiority as it were.

Edited by V8 Fireworks, 25 September 2014 - 10:23.

[chunder27]

I ahve tried watchign NASCAR and tried over and over again.

 

But it is one of the dullest forms of motorsport I ahve ever watched.

 

Awful, xenophobic attitudes like those mentuonde earlier are why it is successful as that demographic makes up a large proportion of its fans.

 

That says more about them than about the actual series.

 

The drivers I rate, I really do. But the racing is dull as dishwater. Yes they pass a lot, big deal, I could pass Johnson in the draft, then he would leave me standing in a bend. My point is its passing for passings sake, nothign matters until the last 20 laps, and before that there are trade stalls, drunkenness, food.

 

Quite ehy every arce is so long I dont know, Oh let me guess, "this series is bought to you by Pepsi, Toyota, Snickers, Nextel, etc etc"  What are you going to do while all that boring stuff between laps 10 and 480. Come spend with us!

[LuckyStrike1]

That is me. I stopped watching after Montoya left the series - correlate this with Montoya being named the most popular driver in the Indycar series this year.

Now that Ambrose is leaving I wonder if more people would stop watching NASCR next year.
Diversity is always important factor to increase popularity.

 

 

None of those two drivers would have much effect on viewership when leaving NASCAR. Sure some would watch it less but not a noticeable effect. 

 

Now if Junior och Danica Patrick would stop driving on the other hand ... 

[Collombin]

Describing women by their genitalia seems a bit old fashioned and slightly provincial to me.

It works both ways. Women are always calling me a prick.

[Xpat]

I think NASCAR appeals to the non-traditional fan. There is a lot of "passing" (meaningless passing imo). There is not a lot of technical BS to contend with. It is a bit more violent than other major forms of racing (rubbin is racin).

 

I love F1 but I understand how being really excited that the lead changed hands in the pits because Alonso had a 2.9 second stop and Vettel had a 3.5 second stop would not be everyone's cup of tea. That and all the foreigners. 

[LuckyStrike1]

I'm gonna start the next topic:

 

Why is football so popular?

 

and 

 

Why is soccer so popular? 

 

Struggle to se the meaning of this discussion. 

 

There's a lot of motorsport to watch. I'm a huge motorsport fan but I can honestly say I'm not interested in all forms of motorsport that exists. Some interests me more than other and some not at all. That's just how it is. 

 

No matter what anyone personally thinks of NASCAR, I like both NASCAR and F1, it's obviously hugely popular - especially in US. 

 

If one is to find out why it probably helps to start with an open mind instead of a biased mind against it which means you rather ask "How the hell can anyone find NASCAR interesting?". That way you will never find an answer. 

[D28]

I have never attended a NASCAR race, but a number of neighbours regularly truck 6-700 miles to see one. For me, this seems reminiscent of driving to the USGP in the 70s at Watkins Glen. They go for the fun; camping, partying etc. the racing is not the whole attraction.

 

NASCAR was a niche sport in US, same as F1 about the time F1 decamped Watkins Glen around 1980. The France family have employed brilliant marketing to move their racing into the limelight of American sport. Since Longbeach, Bernie has traversed America like a seedy rug merchant selling F1 races to 1 city after another always looking for that magic urban setting. Pointedly NASCAR does not do street circuits (I am aware of),  their venues involve actually driving to the track; the sport is promoted to those people owning cars.

 

They also promote the whole package, music, food, parties, camping and most importantly driver accessibility. the spectacle is pitched to a demographic who can afford to attend, a demographic largely ignored by F1.

 

NASCAR was hugely gifted by the ineptitude of Tony George and the internecine fighting which decimated American formula racing.

Still they had to react with a marketing strategy which they did very successfully. F1 is not even a serious competitor now, considering its profile in the US sports market. From their current position, it would take years for F1 to get back to their position of 1980. A GP in New Jersey is not going to alter things significantly.

 

In a sense, if one has to pose the question of its popularity one is already missing the point. perhaps better to ask why F1 has such a dismal profile in US sporting terms. 

Edited by D28, 25 September 2014 - 15:42.

[Tsarwash]

I used this words because it perfectly fits to the sentence before. Just for fun. If you feel offended i would like to apologize

I know it's only a joke, and I'm not offended by it. No need for an apology . But I tend to veer away from that kind of machismo attitude, & I think we're all bored with the 'which is best, Nascar or F1 argument.'

[Andrew Hope]

NASCAR produces enough legitimately exciting races (mainly road courses, superspeedways, and odd tracks like Bristol, etc.) but there's also enough snorefests at Pocono and New Hampshire and Charlotte that you can also have NASCAR on in the background while you do life things and then watch the last 20 laps.

 

It's not something I would recommend, but it is one way to live.

[John B]

The way I see it NASCAR had a bunch of things going in its favor that boosted it to a big time US sport prior to the past decade or so. Unfortunately there have been a number of negative changes that I believe have contributed to the declining interest, but with the lack of another racing series as a legit competitor its been able to hold its niche over that time.

 

These include:

Lack of sustained or heated rivalries as occurred in the past with Waltrip/Allison, Walrip/Earnhardt/Wallace, others before them. Now it's Johnson and everyone else is remarkably inconsistent. Championship contenders one year, nowhere  the next. Check out the records of championship runners-up in the following year.

 

Lack of brand identity - used to look forward to the distinctive cars of each make at Daytona each year, but now it's decals and paint. Freeing up the regs might ease the parades among even cars that occur at many tracks

 

Gimmick rules like free passes, wave arounds, and double file restarts. I was at NH last weekend and it was a joke trying to figure out from the stands who was on what lap etc with 15 cautions.

 

The Chase - opinions are divided on this, but after continuous tinkering it's now to the level of a 1-race, 4 driver shootout (makes double points look enlightened by comparison)

[Option1]

Americans are force fed Nascar. It is an interesting and entertaining branch of motorsport though  hardly serious!  Very stage managed and choreographed. Just like V8 Supercars here in Oz. 

Though way too expensive with cars that have no resemblance too cars.

Though F1 with its cringeworthy and stupidly expensive 'green' crap is making itself obsolete.

Nascar style racing has been tried elsewhere with mixed results. Bob Jane has an empty dome on the Calder Highway.

 

Thanks for proving WWII below right.  Seriously, for someone who claims to be involved in racing in Oz your opinionated ignorance of NASCAR really doesn't need to be blatantly laid out in black and white.

 

buh bye 

 

I'm totally entertained by this thread, and threads like it, where people that have never or rarely posted in a NASCAR race thread, crawl out of the woodwork to pontificate on a type of racing that they know very little about. Bonus points for 'merica bashing.

Personally, I have family in NASCAR that are owners at the very tippy top, and have been watching/attending NASCAR races since the mid seventies, it's evolved tremendously, and is as professional and run as tight and as well as many F1 teams, and in some cases, much better and more technically advanced. NASCAR is popular now and in the past mainly because it's got personality, it runs major US manufacturers. NASCAR completely blew up I'd say about the mid nineties, and there is no way they could sustain it with the next generation, the Millennials, and their notoriously short attention spans, F1 has much the same problem, I'd say. As for the racing itself, I think it is now about as clean as it can get, NASCAR can no longer 'call' races with the impunity they have in the past, there is too much money on the line, and too much media/internet scrutiny involved to get away with it anymore.

[loki]

Examples...?

The top teams use the same engineering tools and principals as F1 or even aerospace.  Some of the teams employ former or trained aerospace engineers and a wealth of other engineering talent.  There is a misnomer that because the cars are fabricated from tube steel rather than carbon fiber there is less technology that goes into the design.  In fact it's the opposite. The rules are so tightly restricted there needs to be more emphasis on finding the gray areas in which to work.  The design parameters and construction of the cars are different but the underlying tools and principals used are quite similar and in many cases identical. The limitations are in the implementation of the rules which in part are designed to make the sport more cost effective and allow deeper participation.

Edited by loki, 25 September 2014 - 17:58.

[Tuxy]

Nascar is popular because, it know's what it is, and it know's its audience.

 

The focus is accessible, fan-oriented, cheap and a great marketing platform for companies looking to invest.  Extensive TV, online and mobile coverage.  More emphasis on drivers, less technical, less convoluted.

 

Basically all the things F1 isn't.  

[427MkIV]

A lot of people in the U.S. think NASCAR is auto racing. I can say I'm going to a sports car race at Virginia International Raceway (a road course), and they say, "Oh, you like NASCAR?" I don't recall the last time I even heard the media or NASCAR call it "stock-car racing" -- just "NASCAR."

 

Previous comments are very true: NASCAR is professional and organized, which team owners like. NASCAR is fan-friendly, which fans like. A NASCAR race is a weekend event with support races and other events, partying, etc. NASCAR is Ford vs. Chevy. I've never seen a Toyota flag at a NASCAR race. The cars are advanced and very well turned out; they just happen to be tube-framed. NASCAR filled the vacuum Tony George created and further when IMSA GTP ran out of steam. NASCAR has by far the most prize money, so drivers flock to it. With the choice of drivers, team owners can hand-pick the ones that will appeal to their sponsors. Stock-car racing happens on Friday and Saturday nights in towns all over the country, so again, for many people sedans on oval tracks is the only form of motorsport they know.

 

Finally, NASCAR realized its events are corporate marketing exercises and TV shows starring drivers. It's not about racing or race cars. TV money will keep it in front perhaps until all other forms of U.S. motorsports die. 

[chunder27]

Its an interesting point made.

 

How NASCAR is effectively taking over fans in the country.

 

HAs road racing ever really been so popular there? I presume Indy racing was a rival for many years.  But bike racing has never taken off there. Motocross is huge as is stuff like Flat track, but pure circuit racing has often been poorly put together, especially now.

 

You ahve some grea tracks there, but seemingly one series now pervades everything else.  We dont have that issue in Europe other than F1 becoming more and more expensive to watch, but that is all over the world, not just Europe.

 

No series really has taken over Europe I guess in the same way.