How popular is NASCAR around the world?

[wbcobrar]

If you want to see NASCAR on a big bueatiful european (style) road course , wish for them to have a weekend at Road America . I dont see NASCAR ever going to europe . And I dont see NASCAR developing the fan base , or the local drivers to field a series . For every NASCAR series sceduled track , there must be 1000 small local short tracks or dirt ovals where for genarations scores of drivers race there modifieds , sportsmans , latemodels ,etc. hoping to become the next Niel Bonnet , Richard Petty , or Alan Kalwicki . How many ovals are in Europe? I can think of ten within a 45 min drive from my house .

[courageous]

The stars did not align, it could have been very different.

*A real increase in european and/or single seater drivers that have done NASCAR in the past 2 years.

*Sky Sports shows most NASCAR races live or tape delayed (if Indycar clashes, they take it in turns to be live) + a rerun at a sensible time.

*5-7 years ago, ASCAR had quite big name drivers (Plato, McRae, Papis, Collins, Manning, Minassian...)

TV coverage, Local drivers, Ability to go see that sort of race - you need all 3 to make it work.

[courageous]

BARB - Official viewing figures for UK:

DAYTONA 500 - 43,000 (Sky Sports 2) + HD viewers (no data for them)

16th March A1GP Mexico - 39,000 (Sky Sports 3)

27th April NASCAR Talledega - 42,000 (Sky Sports 2)

Indycar INDY 500 - 62,000 (Sky Sports 3)

28th Sep NASCAR Kansas - 31,000 (Sky Sports 3)

5th Oct NASCAR Talledega - 17,000 (Sky Sports Extra - Limited coverage)

11th Oct NASCAR Lowes - 28,000 (Sky Sport Extra - Limited coverage)

[call_me_andrew]

Do you have the numbers for an Indycar race other than the Indy 500?

[courageous]

Only other Indycar figures I can find ( http://www.barb.co.uk )

Nashville 13th July (Sky Sport 2) 30,000
Sonoma 24th Aug (Sky Sport Extra - Limited Coverage) 16,000

So NASCAR does seem to be more popular than the IRL, which supprises me.

[Lee Roy]

So NASCAR does seem to be more popular than the IRL, which supprises me.

It doesn't surprise me.

[willracefan]

of course nascar is more popular than the irl. any motorsport that doesnt air weekly is gonna have problems competing with nascar.

[ShiftingGears]

of course nascar is more popular than the irl. any motorsport that doesnt air weekly is gonna have problems competing with nascar.

The IRL's unpopularity is not because it doesnt race every single week.

[Lee Roy]

The IRL's unpopularity is not because it doesnt race every single week.

Bingo. Formula One doesn't race every weekend and it's more popular than NASCAR.

[jeffmr2]

How popular is nascar in the USA nowadays? I know theres the recession but its impossible not to notice all the empty seats in the stands and there seems to be growing discontentment amongst hardcore fans from what i'm reading on here.Ive only followed nascar since 2003 so have no experience of the good old days but I personally think the season is a little too long,the chase is a waste of time and the fake debris cautions are really annoying.Apart from that i more or less think its an amazing sport.