Business Solutions including all features. NASCAR's popularity has declined dramatically since its peak in the early 2000s. Truex, who won for the 32nd times in the Cup Series, held the lead despite the tire disadvantage. GEICO 500 Predictions: Brad Keselowski Could Claim First Win with Current Team, NOCO 400: Christopher Bell Is on a Roll as He Heads to NASCARs Shortest Track. Jerseyball Millvilles Mike Trout and Aaron Cox, Precision Pistol Shooting For Greatness, The Power of Fun Dave Raymond, The Original Phillie Phanatic. In 2008 Kyle Busch smoked the field for the first 26 races, winning eight of them and setting the NASCAR world on fire with his brash and unapologetic racing style. Photo credit: balpeck on Best Running / CC BY-SA (Chastain). After 26 of 36 races, the top ten drivers would have their points reset, putting them all on a level playing field again for the last ten races. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Georgia drivers, car owners, mechanics, and speedways have long played an important role in the establishment, development, and growing popularity of the National Association of Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) sport. The Yankees were always good for baseball. You could say it was NASCARs New Coke, except Coca-Cola was smart enough to change the formula back in response to furious customer backlash. Im proud of this FedEx team for bringing me a car capable of winning today, but sometimes you cant get those last few spots. I was side-by-side with the No. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I kept saying that weve got to just keep doing what were doing and not overthink it. As the son of one of the greatest racecar drivers in history, Junior also had an impossible standard to live up to. I dont often see NASCARs ill-conceived playoff idea as a reason people cite for the decline of NASCAR in articles I read these days, but I promise you, that was not the case when I covered the sport. Chastain won the second stage, finishing in front of Byron, Blaney, Truex Jr. and Hamlin. But theyve also improved the schedule, the broadcasts, and the method of determining a champion. (AP Photo/Jason Minto) AGE DISTRIBUTION NASCAR fans are just as likely as the U.S. population to be 18-44 (98 index vs. U.S population). NASCAR, or the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, is a privately-owned American auto racing company based in Daytona Beach, Florida. Getting a top five is great. It is best known for organizing stock-car racing. This is a carousel. The recent banning of the Confederate flag, which has traditionally been most popular in southern states, has caused some core followers to split. Learn more >. "We'll get on track and kind of see where we stack up and go from there.". The problem is that even though NASCAR is known for its fast cars, there are also lots of other sports that use similar technology and offer viewers more choice - like Formula 1. According to a recent UC Davis research, NASCAR supporters consider themselves to be some of the most patriotic sports fans in the world. Jason Minto - freelancer, FR170619 AP. 2007: NASCAR debuts the 'Car of Tomorrow' which is a rather ugly piece of machinery. Yes, sports ratings as a whole are down, but NASCAR's fall is alarming: Daytona 500 viewership from 2001 to 2009 ranged from 16 to 19 million.. It was a mistake on my part. After Race 7 of 23. The win for the former Cup champion gave the Truex family two NASCAR wins in three days. Elliott picked up the win on a Monday last season at Dover Motor Speedway and he'll get another shot this year after rain again postponed Sunday's race. However, like Johnsons dominance, I doubt that this would have been as much of a problem were it not for other factors that were far more damaging. 48 in place of an injured Alex Bowman. It started as a poll of the drivers and then all NASCAR Cup Series competitors; today, it is voted for by fans across the United States. California sitting third from the bottom may raise a few eyebrows considering it hosts two Cup races and a number of drivers hail from the Golden State, including 7x champion Jimmie Johnson. 1. We stayed in it that whole time. NASCARs 2020 champion is also its most popular driverfor the first time since 1988. North Carolina is close behind. The award is presented by the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA). Ryan Truex, Martins younger brother, won Saturdays Xfinity Series race at Dover. I was side-by-side with the No. 7. There were often timesand Im not exaggerating thiswhen a viewer would see maybe five laps of racing, a two-minute break, and then just two more laps of racing before another break. I think it was a really solid day for the No. 2007: Jeff Gordon has one of the greatest seasons in NASCAR history and doesn't win the championship because 'Chase.' Maybe if you came in a little too hot in dirty air you would brake, but no. (AP Photo/Jason Minto), Team members walk down pit road past covered tires after the NASCAR 400 auto race was postponed due to weather at Dover Motor Speedway Sunday, April 30, 2023, in Dover, Del. Why poll the fans if youre just going to ignore them? The race drew a terrible 2.8 rating. I kept saying that weve got to just keep doing what were doing and not overthink it. But we have speed, and we were able to work steadily today and be solid. Burt Reynolds was perhaps the most successful in merging his movie career with NASCAR. He parked for the day. Beth Lunkenheimer (@NASCARBeth) May 15, 2022 The race itself also wound up with lower television ratings, down nearly half-a-million viewers from last season in one of the year's few. It was, but even that wasnt the point. IndyCar and NASCAR are two popular auto racing series based in the United States. It took time, maybe too much time, but NASCAR is finally addressing the three biggest reasons for the decline of the sport. Byron was a dominant force in winning the first stage but said his car got very loose later. The problem was the tracks that replaced themnearly all of them were characterless, cookie-cutter speedways where aero package ruled the day. Use Ask Statista Research Service, among those who have watched, attended or listened to a NASCAR race, Most valuable sport event brands worldwide 2019, Racing teams of NASCAR ranked by team value 2019, Average TV audience of NASCAR Cup Series 2022, Average U.S. TV audience of NASCAR races 2019. Awesome job.. NASCAR Opens Most Popular Driver Voting for 2022 Season 432 Shares By John Newby Updated Nov 8, 2022 at 12:58pm Getty Chase Elliott receives the Most Popular Driver Award. Ryan Truex, Martins younger brother, won Saturdays Xfinity Series race at Dover. It felt like weve been close a bunch of times, and we gave some away, thats for sure. It has happened with other sports. 4. the Martin Truex Jr. snapped a 54-race winless streak, scoring the victory Monday at Dover Motor Speedway. In that race, caution flags were flown almost every ten laps for tire wear, as Jimmie Johnson limped to a victory. 3. Share of NASCAR fans in the United States in 2018, by city [Graph]. Team members walk down pit road past covered tires after the NASCAR 400 auto race was postponed due to weather at Dover Motor Speedway Sunday, April 30, 2023, in Dover, Del. The 2021 campaign includes six road course races, a dirt race at Bristol (! Thought today, man, late caution, whats going to happen here? [+] annual State of the Sport address at Phoenix Raceway on November 04, 2022 in Avondale, Arizona. In 1994, there were six events held at intermediate tracks of 1.5-2 miles in length. And the season will conclude at Phoenix again, a more exciting venue than Miami where the finale had been for years. Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Denny Hamlin completed the top five. In the United States, NASCAR is one of the most popular sports. Big brother poked his head in Ryans Toyota as he pulled it into victory lane. Just looking for a little more, and I felt like we were pretty close. He won the Southern 500 six times and the Brickyard 400 five times. WSN.com is run by iGaming Cloud Inc (a Gaming Innovation Group Subsidiary) and is registered with the New Jersey DOVER, Del. All that said, the unveiling of the Car of Tomorrow in 2007 certainly didnt help. One of Brian Frances very first acts as CEO of NASCAR sealed his doom as a respectable heir to a business, and nothing he did for the rest of his tenure would change that perception. Lack of manufacturer identity may have been a reason some hardcore fans left the sport in the early 1990s, but that doesnt seem to me to be a valid reason for the sports popularity plunge since 2005. I dont think it had anything to do with the track. Were just grinding. Brennan Poole says Chastain probably needs his butt whooped. Bowman will miss at least the next three Cup races. Weve led laps. The sport mishandled the on-track racing by introducing the 550 horsepower package which caused the fanbase to lose trust. It felt like weve been close a bunch of times, and we gave some away, thats for sure, Truex told Fox Sports. He is likely to build a fan base fast. Its kind of been a struggle track for us, and Im proud of the gains we made., William Byron Finished 4th: The middle section I dont know, I need to maybe do a little better job on the feedback, and then just us communicating the adjustments there. Truex also won a regularly scheduled Sunday race here in 2016. And I said all that without even bringing up that profoundly irritating cartoon gopher. Richard Petty, known as The King in racing circles for his accomplishments, was the first driver to win the NASCAR Cup Championship seven times. The 2023 IndyCar schedule includes 17 races, starting on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., in March, and finishing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sept. 10. North Carolina is close behind. Martin Truex Jr., center, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR 400 auto race at Dover Motor Speedway, Monday, May 1, 2023, in Dover, Del. The wreck happened in the first stage of the race, a fact both Larson and Poole pointed out after the crash. It feels nice to get one to come around our way, Truex said. Excited about that, proud of our day especially Chris (Buescher) running well. Weve showed it. This can range from meet-and-greet autograph sessions with drivers prior to major races to packages in which fans can even be driven around the most famous American circuits. I mean, just a joke 80-something laps into a race? Thats strong. The 2019 Daytona 500 viewership was just 9 million. It was tight and it got loose. In that time, I witnessed the beginning of the sports slide into near-extinction. Im out of breath, Im breathing so much Goodyear rubber. Ill never forget seeing Elliott Sadlers terrifying end-over-end crash at Talladega in 2003 and seeing it again in every single ad for Talladega races for the next 3-4 years. NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award is awarded to the most popular NASCAR driver in the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series every year since 1956. Elliott would like to join him on that list. Tough day today with a few pit stops early and then obviously the guys got it going at the end, so really psyched and happy for everybody. Fans can vote for a single driver once daily at NASCAR.com/MostPopularDriver or on the NASCAR Mobile App. Photo credit: PresidenBertho on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-SA Noah Gragson watches before the start of the NASCAR 400 auto race at Dover Motor Speedway Monday, May 1, 2023, in Dover, Del. Kyle Busch Two-time Cup champion whose 59 wins ranks ninth on the all-time wins list and hes only 36 years old. While NASCAR scrambles to address its national (and global) popularity problem, we wanted to look at exactly where its core fanbase is. Ross Chastain (1) pits after winning stage 2 during the NASCAR 400 auto race at Dover Motor Speedway Monday, May 1, 2023, in Dover, Del. Some say I lost a bet, Gragson said. In addition, the Charlotte Motor Speedway and the fact that the majority of NASCAR teams are based out of Charlotte, or nearby, makes North Carolina the unofficial home of NASCAR for many. Scott Horner, Indianapolis Star. DOVER, Del. Weve showed it. The NASCAR report, however, said the separation of the belt was "not caused by driver adjustment." Team owner Richard Childress has refuted Simpson's statements about having warned Earnhardt that . I cant imagine any fan of Dale Earnhardt Sr.and there were a lot of themnot wanting to see the sport take every measure it could to keep drivers safe after Daytona 2001. Unfortunately, as the track built up rubber and I got in dirty air, we just couldnt find the grip we needed. The IndyCar racing season is held over 5 months and consists of 17 total races. In addition, the current playoff format, while far from perfect, isnt nearly as unpalatable as the Chase was. NASCAR made an absurd amount of money with their television contracts in the 2000s, but that ultimately cost them a sizable chunk of the audience when networks were forced to make it worth their while. Larson returned to the track after repairs. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. Allison won four Southern 500s, three Daytona 500s and three Coca-Cola 600s. The NASCAR fan base is 63% male, 37% female. Twelve of his 83 wins (14.5%) came in the sports marquee events. Which meant that other drivers didnt win a lot. Just proud of Blake (Harris, crew chief) and everybody on this team for a great job., Erik Jones Finished 16th: Its a good day for our No. He bounced back from a Lap 124 pit stop issue that dropped him to 20th. We fired off so well and had a ton of speed. Those lucky fans may even get to brush shoulders with movie stars and music giants on occasion. Nepotism isnt dead in NASCAR. Yet instead of focusing their marketing on Johnsons unequaled supremacy, NASCAR chose to put all of their marketing eggs into the Danica Patrick basket, believing a swimsuit model who could drive a racecar would save the sport. XFINITY Series. So, I think it was the No. Were not far off here. Mike Joy is an outstanding announcer, and it was never a big deal for a fan to mute Darrell Waltrips exponentially annoying boogity boogity boogity! at the green flag. He collected 105 series wins, second only to Richard Petty on the all-time list. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set The 26-year-old has had a bright career in stock car racing while also becoming one of the most successful African American NASCAR racers of all time. Craftsman Truck Series. Kevin Harvick is third, 38 points behind Chastain. Since this is a non-ideological blog, I wont get into the things that the NFL, NBA and MLB have recently done to drive away a significant portion of their fanbases. Elliott, who finished 12th last week at Talladega, said he's just "pushing forward" as he drives the No. Probably needs to get his butt whooped, Brennan Poole after he was hit by Ross Chastain in a wreck that also took out Kyle Larson. The Cup race was rescheduled from Sunday to Monday after weather forced a postponement. The fan backlash was loud and intense. Withdrew his own name from future ballots following this year, The first non-American driver to win the award, This page was last edited on 15 March 2023, at 06:42. Making matters worse, within four years, the driver with the second largest fan base finished with the most points in a season twice, only to lose the title to a points reset. Voting closes Dec. 1 at 12 p.m. 1 Jockey Chevy team and everybody at Trackhouse Racing, Advent Health, Moose Fraternity, Worldwide Express. He held the series record for victories until son Richard topped his mark. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. Drivers: NAME: NO. As Juniors fortunes continued to trend downward even while driving for the strongest team in the sport, his fan base became turned off. The leaders pitted, and Truex took two tires, while Chastain got four. The Patriots domination was great for the NFL. NASCAR is the second biggest motorsport in the world after Formula 1. He only ran more than 3/4 of the season five times. After two DNFs in the first two Chase events resulting from simple bad luck, just like that his title hopes were gone. These are bold changes, but this variety of tracks will test drivers and teams at every level. Overview and forecasts on trending topics, Industry and market insights and forecasts, Key figures and rankings about companies and products, Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries, Detailed information about political and social topics, All key figures about countries and regions, Market forecast and expert KPIs for 600+ segments in 150+ countries, Insights on consumer attitudes and behavior worldwide, Business information on 70m+ public and private companies, Detailed information for 35,000+ online stores and marketplaces.