Why NASCAR is gaining more n more fans...
 

i heard somewhere that nascar is the fastest growing spectator sport in the nation.

more n more fans are watchin nascar these days. and less n less people are watchin the other series (like irl and cart).

what is it with nascar that attracts more n more fans?

There seems to be alot of people that like sports entertainment.

As the popularity of wrestlin' declines, more people are watching racin'. Pretty simple.

I don't really think that CART, IRL, or F1 are losing fans to Nascar, as much as Nascar is bringing people outside of the sport.

NASCAR has figured out unique ways to market to people that most companies are still trying to figure out. I'm a fan, and I'm not really sure why. I started watching short track racing in NH when I was younger, and next thing I knew I was watching guys Ernie Irvan and Darrell Waltrip on TV. For a while, I was even paying the 100 bux a ticket to see it in person.

I think more often than not its the image the racers are given. They don't act like millionaires (even though most Cup guys are), they stay out of the police notes, and have some great personalities. There are also a lot of rivalries created that make it interesting to watch. Its also really easy to follow and only takes a few hours a week.

Thats my 2 cents anyhow.

i have never been able to get into nascar. i've really tried but i just can't. its just very uninteresting to me, the whole going in a circle thing. the only races that really interest me are rally races.

heh, i got a kick out of the missing "g's" in your post gov. gotta give it the right accent. :) shouldn't wrestlin' be rasslin' though?

I think it's the younger, rock-n-roll appeal of drivers like Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Gordon that's bringing a lot of new fans to the sport. 20 years ago the sport was "Hickish." It's reached a new generation now, and that's really lived the sport up.

Nascar has been marketed extremely well to its target audience of the average shmoe. The drivers are much more accessible to the fans than other series (ie F1), and there are some definite personalities out there.

gov135 is exactly right, people like sports entertainment. Nascar is a lot more "show" than "race". This is obvious in the way that Nascar markets crashes as a reason to watch the race.

Yes it should be. :D

And in the way that Nascar won't let a race end under caution... And in the way Nascar lets guys run out onto the track to throw their helmets... But you hit it on the head correctly, Silverfox. You can tell alot about an organization by the way it markets itself.

It's a male-driven soap opera.

whatever it takes to reduce typin, i'll do it.

I always thought it had something to do with Americans watching good old American cars. You know, you could watch one of these boys win the Daytona 500 in a Chevy Monte Carlo, then head down to the dealer the next day and drive a new one off the showroom floor.

well, toyota is entering the cup next yr.

and i think they're already in the truck races.

nascar is american. it is a lot easier to identify with the cars and drivers in nascar then irl or cart.

Nascar is better than the IRL and Cart because there are more drivers at each race that could win. I'd say that almost 50% of Nascar drivers could win the race each weekend. I don't think you could say that about the IRL or CART, but the only IRL race I watch is Indy.

I doubt F1 is losing fans to Nascar. They are two different beasts. F1 is based on strategy/technology and has a larger fan base worldwide than Nascar.

crap dbl post. sorry.

Is Toyota for sure entering Winston (Nextel) Cup next year? It'll be interesting to see if their bottomless pockets can buy wins. My guess is "yes", but if they do it won't be long before Nascar makes them run a different aero package to reduce their advantage.

Try to find one with a carburated V-8 and rear wheel drive. :)

Right now NASCAR is pop culture. The real test is if it can keep its newly found fanbase while keeping the traditional 'good ol boy' fans that the sport was built on.

1) In NASCAR the cars are pushed to the limit, in IRL and CART the drivers are pushed to the limit in most cases before the cars are.

2) Contact. Someone bumps an IRL or CART car and it seems to go flying halfway across the track. In NASCAR, well, you have Bristol which is practially a large bumper car track.

3) U.S.A. NASCAR is popular because of Americans being in it, because it's being in the states. F1 is popular in Europe and such, but not popular here because of the same reasons IRL and CART are unpopular here.

I really enjoy motor racing as a whole, mainly because I grew up in a motor racing type family. Nascar has really good marketeers, and can be very exciting to watch. I am more of an F1, F3000 open wheel racing series person, because I really enjoy watching the drivers reflexes. But one thing I do want to add, anyone that straps into a machine, be a nascar, go-cart, or F1 are amazingly talented and gifted people.

Yeah, unfortunately this you have to do in your garage after you drive it home.

Then take it out on the expressway about 5:30 and swap a little paint. :lol:

I am a racing fan I watch all forms of racing as much as I can. As has been said n a couple of the responses above NASCAR is one of the best sports at marketing and making their Drivers and teams avaiable to the public. I love to watch a good F1 race anyday but it does not have the closeness of NASCAR and the excitment (except '03 Brittish GP). I also enjoy the excitment of Rally racing watching these guys go flying through the woods with reckless abandon. But NASCAR still takes the ckae here in the US because of the closeness, avaiability and Marketing of the sport.

As for the Toyota talk right now Toyota is looking to possibly enter the Truck series in '04 and then taking it from there. It will be interesting to see what and how they do there and what they come up with to try and enter NASCAR Nextel Cup in thee to four years.

I love NASCAR, but I also love Formula One racing, if anything, F1 is beginning to gain fans, not lose them. The reason why F1 is not growing faster than NASCAR is because of marketing and what channels host the respective races. NASCAR is hosted on basic cable channels, thereby reaching more audiences. F1 is hosted on Speed (in America), in which case you have to get a premium cable service or satellite to get it, that's a big reason why NASCAR is bigger than F1 over here, but I still love it cuz of the high speeds, I love NASCAR because anyone can win (i.e. Greg Biffle and the Pepsi 400) and plus it's a lot of fun to watch the short track races (the shorter the track, the shorter the tempers). They're both great sports.

NASCAR is only entering the Truck Series next year. They are bringing the Tundra in to race against the American models. The only reason the Tundra is allowed to race is because it is manufactured in the USA.

Bill Davis Racing supposedly helped Toyota get their trucks up to speed technically so they could compete and it cost them a bunch because Dodge dropped its deal with them and now they have to pay for all the tech support, wind tunnel time, etc. that they used to get for free from Dodge.

It's my guess that Toyota won't be getting into the Winston (Nextel) Cup races till they can break into the good ole boy network that runs NASCAR.

NASCAR is awesome. I never got into it until i moved to Florida and now I watch it every weekend. There is a lot involved in racing too, from pitting at the right times and drafting to conserve fuel. It is really interesting to watch.

dont forget post-race conflict :D

Like when Jimmy Spencer knocked the crap out of Kurt Busch.

I hate Kurt Busch he's a douche bag.

anyone seen the women (and what they are and aren't wearing) at the tracks! enough reason for me!

I heard that Nascar is the second most watched sport on T.V. Second to only Football. I can't back this up, but that is what I heard.

Just wondering if you've ever went to an actual NASCAR event??? I always liked it but once I saw my first Race I REALLY was hooked! I have seen the last 14 Races at Michigan International Speedway and it kicks ass!! (and in my opinion the michigan races are not as exciting as other venues.!!)

NASCAR is awesome!!! I grew up liking it b/c my dad is a fan. You have to actually go to a race to understand it. Watching it on TV is a lot different than in person. It really is a lot of fun although my husband, Mr. Quackers, makes fun of me when I watch it!

This is true. I like to do my NASCAR impression, which is impossible to reproduce in print.

I get hit a lot. :)

NASCAR is incredibly boring. The Left Hand Turn Circuit.

I'd rather watch grass grow or stab myself in the foot for fun. But, you guys do a hell of a job keeping the ratings up, more power to ya. :) Going around in circles for 3 hours isn't my idea of entertainment on a weekend.

The whole left turn only kinda thing use to really bug me until I realized it was more about racing the other drivers than the track which makes it a little more bearable.

Man did wrestling plummet or what? It use to be the hottest thing on TV now it's losing stock-car racing. I guess that's what happens when you don't have much material to work with for 5 hours of programming a week.

Another reason why NASCAR is quite popular could be the fact, even if you crash your car, you can still race and compete until the checkered flag. Love seeing those crashed-up cars with no hoods or bumpers and still racing.

Whereas, in IRL, CART, and FI, if something happens to the car, they are pulled out of the races immediately.

It's all in the marketing baby.

I'm no longer a fan. Between the suspension of Jimmy Spencer to the non-existent yellow line at Talladega if you're Jeff Gordon or Earnhardt Jr., I've had it. Busch should have been parked last week too. Even with audio evidence, Nascar didn't have the balls to sit him. Cowards! Like Sterling Marlin said, "I guess Jimmy didn't hit him hard enough"

I don't understand nascar, what's so cool about driving really fast in circles? I like WRC rally racing or GT racing like the American LeMans series with cool tracks like Laguna Seca with those Panoz cars, Porsches, Ferrari 360s, Maranellos, and Corvettes all on one track. Fast sweepers, tight corners, chicanes, beautiful cars , isn't that better than oval racing with sticker covered cars?