The decline of NASCAR was a combination of ill-considered decisions: the implementation of a contrived playoff, poorly thought out broadcasting contracts, and departing from unique and venerable venues for dull, unexciting ones. According to a recent UC Davis research, NASCAR supporters consider themselves to be some of the most patriotic sports fans in the world. Gordon scored the most points overall of any driver in 2004, 2007, and 2014. I was side-by-side with the No. Kurt Busch won likely the last race of his career there after it was cut short because of a head injury suffered in a crash at Pocono last summer. He also had a Daytona 500 win and a Southern 500 victory among his 84 career wins. PDF NASCAR FAN BASE DEMOGRAPHICS - Brent Sherman I have reasons to believe that NASCAR can return to previous levels of popularitymaybe not on the verge of overtaking the NFL again, but at least back to a point where they have enough of a dedicated fanbase to be a solid performer in ratings and ticket sales. So, I think it was the No. 2007: Jeff Gordon has one of the greatest seasons in NASCAR history and doesn't win the championship because 'Chase.' Due to rain, NASCAR set for Monday race | National Sports Headlines I can also dispute other reasons for it that I see being offered today. If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. It was that simple. number 94414163), granted a vendor registration number VR007603-20-001 by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, I dont know. What states are most interested in NASCAR? : r/NASCAR - Reddit 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. Those moments generate interestand rivalries, which every sport needs. Just ten years later, there were 13 such eventsnearly half the schedule. We will keep focusing to get back where we need to be starting next week in Kansas., Joey Logano Finished 31st: There was fire, so something broke. Chart. However, NASCAR . The IndyCar racing season is held over 5 months and consists of 17 total races. Those 17 victories account for 18.3% of his win total. He collected 105 series wins, second only to Richard Petty on the all-time list. NASCAR did (and still does) market the possibility of spectacular wrecks. Ended up ninth with the late restart and had a lap-down car racing us pretty hard. Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on Best Running / CC BY Richard Petty, known as The King in racing circles for his accomplishments, was the first driver to win the NASCAR Cup Championship seven times. We all know what Im talking about. Chastain moved to the top of the points standings, replacing Christopher Bell. Chase Elliott, like his 1988 champion father Bill, is from Dawsonville, Georgiathe Southeastand he has the lineage factor as the son of a well-liked champion. After the race, Chastain said on FS1: I first have to say Im so sorry to Brennan and everybody at Rick Ware Racing. A paid subscription is required for full access. Jeff Gordon A four-time champion whose 93 career wins ranks third on the all-time list. Jason Minto - freelancer, FR170619 AP. Even more so than in baseball, the on-screen product is affected with the layout of a track. Rain is starting to become a monster of a problem for a track that once hosted two race weekends a year but is now down to one each season. These names all make sense for a variety of reasons, including their . Created and Designed by, Solving NASCARs Racetrack Problem, Part 2 Happy Hour Motor Speedway, on What Caused The Decline of NASCAR? I dont know, I need to go back and look at it. Weve led laps. 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. I dont know. The 2017 Cup champion has the blueprint on how to win at the Monster Mile on a Monday. Vendor I was side-by-side with (. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of The Sentinel-Record. Firstly, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is located in Charlotte. Weve dominated races, and it just would never all come together. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File), FILE -Chase Elliott during driver introductions before the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, in Daytona Beach, Fla. Chase Elliott will return to the No. The most popular driver award was first presented in 1949, to Curtis Turner, at the end of NASCAR's inaugural season. Dale Earnhardt The seven-time champion was particularly dominant from 1986-91. NASCAR's popularity is down and the ratings reflect it. In 1994, there were six events held at intermediate tracks of 1.5-2 miles in length. Martin Truex Jr. (19) performs a burnout after winning the NASCAR 400 auto race at Dover Motor Speedway, Monday, May 1, 2023, in Dover, Del. Ross Chastain chased Truex over the closing miles but couldnt challenge for the lead. 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.. He held the series record for victories until son Richard topped his mark. Kyle Busch Two-time Cup champion whose 59 wins ranks ninth on the all-time wins list and hes only 36 years old. In our history, this hasnt been our best track. The No. We got the result we deserve and worked for., Josh Berry Finished 10th: Happy to get another top 10. 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. NASCAR's Sagging Popularity Absorbs Another Big Hit - Forbes "I don't feel like it impacts me in the car at this point. Thanks to everybody that stuck with us, all our fans, Bass Pro Shops, Auto Owners, Resers, Toyota, TRD, all my personal sponsors. Chase Elliott voted NASCAR's most popular driver for fourth - ESPN - Photo by Jason Minto of The Associated Press, Teams move tires towards pit road before the start of the NASCAR 400 auto race at Dover Motor Speedway Sunday, April 30, 2023, in Dover, Del. The Steelers have signed cornerback Chandon Sullivan to a contract. It seems likely that his five consecutive championships will join the mark of Richard Petty's 200 Cup wins as records that will never be broken. "Clerks" filmmaker and actor Kevin Smith was scheduled to serve as grand marshal for Sunday's race and give the command for drivers to star their engines. Go figure. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set The track was good, the car was really good. Truex also won a regularly scheduled Sunday race here in 2016. MORE: Brennan Poole says Ross Chastain probably needs his butt whooped. The broadcasts really were over-saturated with ads enough to drive fans away. William Byron (24) races down the back stretch during the NASCAR 400 auto race at Dover Motor Speedway Monday, May 1, 2023, in Dover, Del. Next: The Cup Series moves on to Kansas Speedway for a May 7 race at 3 p.m. Access to this and all other statistics on 80,000 topics from, Show sources information Among Lee Pettys win was the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. As Juniors fortunes continued to trend downward even while driving for the strongest team in the sport, his fan base became turned off. Hey, if the Hendrick Motorsports star wanted to pick up some tips from last season's winning effort, that race was replayed on FS1 to fill air time on a Sunday afternoon. National award, covering every NASCAR series. When people click on our We respect your privacy. And I said all that without even bringing up that profoundly irritating cartoon gopher. Byron was a dominant force in winning the first stage but said his car got very loose later. I was side-by-side with the No. So no, Johnsons domination wasnt directly a factor in the decline of NASCAR but their failure to market it most definitely was. (May 15, 2018). How Gambling Trends Look Set To Change In The US For 2022, Sonny Gray leads Twins to win over Royals, Scott McLaughlin wins at Barber Motorsports Park, Full IndyCar Results, Reynaldo Lopez suffers injury, White Sox rally for win, Cal Raleigh homers twice late as Mariners beat Blue Jays, Tyler Mahle to miss four weeks following injury. It's just special, Truex said. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. Cale Yarborough Won three consecutive championships (1976-78). In fact, the current car lends itself to some pretty good racing. All that said, the unveiling of the Car of Tomorrow in 2007 certainly didnt help. People love a winner, they love to hate a winner, and they love to see a dynasty get taken down. It was, but even that wasnt the point. 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. Voting for Most Popular Driver award opens Tuesday If that contributed to NASCARs decline, however, that is on NASCAR. It seems to be something he does a lot recently. It was such a big day for our family to see Ryan do that on Saturday.. Missed one race due to the death of his father. Get the latest NASCAR news, schedules, race results, standings, and highlights. As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. (AP) Martin Truex Jr. mastered the Monster Mile on a Monday for the third time in his career and the former NASCAR champion snapped a 54-race winless streak overall in the Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway. NASCAR Races Into an Uncertain Future - The New York Times But we have speed, and we were able to work steadily today and be solid. 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. 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-522-4700 (NV), 1-800-522-4700 Chastain leads the season standings after 11 races with 370 points. The recent banning of the Confederate flag, which has traditionally been most popular in southern states, has caused some core followers to split. Daniel Suarez lost control on Lap 36 and slapped the outside wall. AGE DISTRIBUTION NASCAR fans are just as likely as the U.S. population to be 18-44 (98 index vs. U.S population). Kevin Harvick is third, 38 points behind Chastain. Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Denny Hamlin completed the top five. (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. the Nascar remains as popular as ever in the US. Here's why Rebel Penguin ApS 2023 (a subsidiary of Gaming Innovation Group Inc.) 2023 NASCAR Driver Points Standings. It got us on the front row. What happened to NASCAR's popularity? : r/NASCAR - Reddit Surprisingly, there are no active NASCAR tracks in the Mountain State, but that doesnt seem to dampen the locals enthusiasm for the sport. Weve led laps. NASCAR - Statistics & Facts | Statista Chase Elliott missed so many races because of a broken leg that NASCAR's most popular driver likely needs to win one just to make the playoffs. Chastain was second, Ryan Blaney third, William Byron fourth and Denny Hamlin fifth. It could be argued that Junior was the sports last link to its tobacco-chewing, Southern past; once Jeff Gordon tore up the sport, drivers started to appear from every corner of the country. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. That run was obviously really bad we fell from first to seventh. Although crowds and TV audiences have shrunk over the previous decade, NASCARs popularity has remained consistent. Gordon wasnt the only driver who turned in a spectacular season-long performance only to have it nullified. DOVER, Del. The Yankees were always good for baseball. Bowlesy thinks there needs to be an element of risk for racing to be exciting; I dont tune in to races to see a car potentially fly into a catch fence and injure spectators. Up until the middle of the 21 st century the. Where Did All The NASCAR Fans Go? - Forbes The 27-year-old has vowed he won't stop snowboarding or any of the other off-track activities he enjoys, even after teammate Alex Bowman was also injured when he suffered a fractured vertebra in a sprint car crash this week. Chastain, who has often been criticized for rough driving, was the central character in a Lap 81 crash. The #48 team should have been a gold mine. Along with that came an all-important metric: the Nielsen ratings. With Iowa and Vermont making up the remainder of the top five. an Print Headline: NASCAR at Dover moved to today. But just a great call by James (crew chief James Small) to take two and then was able to get a pretty good restart and get (Dave) Blaney there. There are still 11 races on intermediate tracks, but its finally moving in the right direction. More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports, Truex wins NASCAR race at Dover for 3rd time on a Monday. You couldnt entirely blame NASCAR for no longer holding events in places like North Wilkesboro or Rockingham or even Darlington, which lost a race on the schedule for several years. Just over a decade ago the Daytona 500 would draw 19 million viewers. He did win the Clash at the Coliseum exhibition race in February. Photo credit: sidehike on VisualHunt / CC BY-SA South Carolina, home of Darlington Raceway, follows in third place. However, by the time NASCAR was peaking in the early 2000s, there already wasnt much manufacturer identity left. He won the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 three times each. It took time, maybe too much time, but NASCAR is finally addressing the three biggest reasons for the decline of the sport. [Online]. Driver. He bumped the slower car of Brennan Poole, sending Poole up the track and into the path of Kyle Larson. Richard Petty He went from seven-time champion to cultural icon. The Old North State is probably the the first place most people think of when they think of NASCAR. 8. 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. Lee Petty First three-time Cup champion in series history. 1? Im not buying the its too safe bit as a cause for the decline of NASCAR. Seat Belt Maker Simpson Sues NASCAR - timesunion.com Just uncalled for. DOVER, Del. Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-SA Getting a top five is great. 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. But it was a never ending source of irritation to see five laps of racing followed by a several minute commercial break, which was then followed by another minute of a wide angle shot of the venue and This race is being brought to you by .. As soon as he ran into me, I just kind of got shoved into the corner, like way too deep, and then I was just immediately turned around. It may be difficult for younger people to imagine it, but the sport was once poised to overtake the NFL in popularity. Just didnt have quite enough speed for those top-two guys at the end there. We ran third all day. We just had to work our way up from there. The race was Pooles first Cup start of the season. After Race 10 of 36. Kyle Larson ran well during the first stage, but his car was badly damaged on Lap 81 when Ross Chastain hit Brennan Poole, sending Poole into Larsons path. 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OK, here we go. Bell is second, three points behind Chastain. 1? I wasnt the only one who noticedas this blog posts comments demonstrated. The move of the Labor Day race to California was part of an ongoing trend. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has the second-most awards (15) and holds the longest streak, winning the award in 2003 and every year until his retirement in 2017.[1][2]. After Race 9 of 33. Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation. He earned his 32nd career Cup victory and became the 10th driver to win four or more Cup races at Dover. I think I won.. This portable Cubii under-desk elliptical is $129 off today. The finish was Chastains best of the year. With the current playoff point structure, drivers are also somewhat rewarded for strong season-long performances as wellwhile the Chase completely disregarded excellence during the season. Photo credit: PresidenBertho on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-SA Brennan Poole says Chastain probably needs his butt whooped. He just ran me over. Martin Truex Jr. (19) races into turn 3 during the NASCAR 400 auto race at Dover Motor Speedway Monday, May 1, 2023, in Dover, Del. ", Nielsen, Share of NASCAR fans in the United States in 2018, by city Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/860566/nascar-viewers-city/ (last visited May 01, 2023), Share of NASCAR fans in the United States in 2018, by city [Graph], Nielsen, May 15, 2018. Busch, enjoying a successful first season at Richard Childress Racing, won last week's race at Talladega Superspeedway. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). Just wanted to be a little more free on that last race restart to see if we could drive forward a little bit more, but it was good to stay up there all day and in contention. The NASCAR fan base is 63% male, 37% female. It felt like weve been close a bunch of times, and we gave some away, thats for sure, Truex told Fox Sports. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Jerseyball Millvilles Mike Trout and Aaron Cox, Precision Pistol Shooting For Greatness, The Power of Fun Dave Raymond, The Original Phillie Phanatic. 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. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? The win was Truexs fourth at Dover. NASCAR Power Rankings of Cup drivers of all time 1. It was no longer just a southern sport. Races are run on downtown streets, road courses and oval speedways. our Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Policy and you confirm that you are 18+. So it really wouldnt have been much different. These are bold changes, but this variety of tracks will test drivers and teams at every level. I mean, just a joke 80-something laps into a race? 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. Dover will hold a Monday race for the fifth time in 105 career Cup races -- but third time since 2109. 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 . Learn more >. I also suggested a solutionthat NASCAR emulate how baseball exploded in popularity after the opening of Camden Yards. That isnt insignificant when it comes to explaining the decline of NASCAR. Im grateful for this opportunity, grateful to be here. (AP) Martin Truex Jr. mastered the Monster Mile on a Monday for the third time in his career and the former NASCAR champion snapped a 54-race winless streak overall in the Cup . 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. He won the Coca-Cola 600 five times. Thats exactly what NASCAR did when they took the Labor Day race out of Darlington and sent it to Auto Club Speedway in California. In response to its rapidly growing popularity nationwide, NASCAR moved away from the Southeast fans who brought the sport to the dance, and began holding races in places like Vegas, Chicago and Los Angeles. 4. The first five laps on tires we would be so good, but then we would lose grip and get super-free. 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. Truex wins NASCAR race at Dover for 3rd time on a Monday So what caused the decline of NASCAR to the point where the sport is desperately trying to remain relevant? But that in itself wasn't necessarily the crime. With NASCAR in its two-week break, the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings puts together its top 10 list of drivers in the sports history. Auto Racing Drivers on ESPN.com. We then plotted the data on a map to help to visualize the most popular regions across the country. He only ran more than 3/4 of the season five times. Chastain won the second stage, finishing in front of Byron, Blaney, Truex Jr. and Hamlin. By virtue of his fathers untimely passing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. instantly found himself with a larger fan base than any three drivers in NASCAR. How does a repeat rainout victory at the Monster Mile sound? Ill have to look at the replay. (Chastain). Another reason why NASCAR is losing popularity is due to the fact that there are just too many races. He finished first or second in the points 10 times in his career. I expect that will be a boon to NASCARs future. It was the insistent implementation of it over loud objections of fans. NASCAR Most & Least Popular States [MAP] - World Sports Network I dont think it had anything to do with the track. Those lucky fans may even get to brush shoulders with movie stars and music giants on occasion. 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. Has won at least one race for 17 consecutive years, tying him for second with David Pearson on the all-time list. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. But the team could reconsider if another outside accident happened to Elliott, Bowman, William Byron or Kyle Larson. WWE star Braun Strowman, who sports the catchy nickname, did at least get to flex his pythons and pose with the Miles the Monster trophy. The NASCAR season is held over 9 months . Rain is starting to become a monster of a problem for a track that once hosted two race weekends a year but is now . Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? "I'm not going on runs or doing sprinting drills, but I feel fine," he said. Jimmie Johnson was a hallmark of ruthless efficiency in his prime, winning seven titles and five in a row. Fans can vote for a single driver once daily at NASCAR.com/MostPopularDriver or on the NASCAR Mobile App. Richard Petty, known as The King in racing circles for his accomplishments, was the first driver to win the NASCAR Cup Championship seven times. Well take our Sunseeker Resorts Chevy off to Kansas next week and move on from here., Daniel Suarez Finished 35th: The conditions were perfect. 19, and he did the same thing and was able to get around us. The air was tricky in the back of the pack. 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. This was a problem that actually needed to be addressed and wasnt. We came with something a little bit different to try and help that. And he had a very large fan base. "We'll get on track and kind of see where we stack up and go from there.". Nothing against Jimmie Johnson for winning titles with the rules as written, but he only managed that feat twice. It may have even been before I needed to roll out of the gas. I tried to send it into (turn) 3 to clear the No. 2022 NMPA Most Popular Driver voting continues | NASCAR