We were so slow and the car wouldnt turn. I think it did for the majority of the race, but just got too loose., Denny Hamlin Finished 5th: Our car was really fast. The Old North State is probably the the first place most people think of when they think of NASCAR. 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. So heres what we did: We analyzed Google Trends data to compare NASCARs popularity across every state. Advertising disclosure: WSN contains links to online retailers on its website. Races are run on downtown streets, road courses and oval speedways. Joey Logano brought out a caution with 14 laps to go when he lost control of his car and hit the outside wall. North Carolina is close behind. At the other end of the table, District of Columbia and Hawaii are by far the states least interest in NASCAR. The race drew a terrible 2.8 rating. It was a radical change to a sport that didnt need radical changes. NASCAR Official Home | Latest News, Schedule, & Results There is no denying that NASCARs popularity has waned over recent years. If it did, I would really appreciate your support. 43 Allegiant Chevy, you know, we were kind of back and forth on the balance throughout the day just trying to get some stuff better, but we came a long way from where we were in practice. It's just special, Truex said. It didnt help that a hugely popular driver underperformed, but that shouldnt have caused this much of a free fall. But the initial Chase, an artificial and contrived points reset, was despised by fans. NASCAR Power Rankings of Cup drivers of all time 1. Martin Truex Jr. hoists the trophy after winning the NASCAR 400 auto race at Dover Motor Speedway, Monday, May 1, 2023, in Dover, Del. NASCARs popularity appears to be on the upswing once more. NASCAR was plenty defiant resisting this idea at their peakbut these days, theyre not in a position to ignore displeased fans. Here is a full ranking of NASCARs popularity by state: West Virginia is the so-called NASCAR state with the most interest in the motorsport. People rooted for car brands as well as drivers, and car companies believed in the whole win on Sunday, sell on Monday mantra. Bell is second, three points behind Chastain. 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. Truex earned his first points since since September 2021 at Richmond. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Bill Elliott certainly did many firsts in his career. Thought today, man, late caution, whats going to happen here? Seat Belt Maker Simpson Sues NASCAR - timesunion.com NASCAR polled fans about the idea on their website following the 2003 season, and fans overwhelmingly rejected it. So, its kind of pathetic. I think this was about the time we hit our stride last year. I did not mean to do that at all, Chastain told his crew via radio. 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. 48 in place of an injured Alex Bowman. 24 RaptorTough.comChevy was really good today. The first five laps on tires we would be so good, but then we would lose grip and get super-free. As the son of one of the greatest racecar drivers in history, Junior also had an impossible standard to live up to. I dont know. I dont know. The franchise system has made NASCAR a closed shop. When people click on our Just a strong showing. Johnsons seven titles came in 11 seasons, a remarkable feat in what at that point was arguably the most competitive era of NASCAR. Craftsman Truck Series. Brennan Poole says Chastain probably needs his butt whooped. We know we could do this. | 10 hours ago | Caleb Tallman. While NASCAR scrambles to address its national (and global) popularity problem, we wanted to look at exactly where its core fanbase is. , NASCAR supporters consider themselves to be some of the most patriotic sports fans in the world. Im proud of this FedEx team for bringing me a car capable of winning today, but sometimes you cant get those last few spots. NASCAR is becoming a niche sport, again. Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Denny Hamlin completed the top five. So, I think it was the No. Kyle Busch starts on the pole today and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell joins him on the first row. The win for the former Cup champion gave the Truex family two NASCAR wins in three days. NASCAR is aggressively working to become a more diverse and inclusive sport, as evidenced by the recent outpouring of support for Bubba Wallace and the BLM movement. I owe a big apology and a bit more. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. Speaking of disrespecting your fan base, how about needlessly putting an end to a beloved 54-year tradition? Won 54 races. The race was Pooles first Cup start of the season. Most Super Bowl wins by NFL team 1967-2023, Average ticket price in the NFL by team 2021, FIFA World Ranking: top male soccer teams 2022, Athletic footwear global market share by company 2015, Health & Fitness Clubs - Statistics & Facts, Sporting goods industry in the U.S. - statistics & facts, Profit from additional features with an Employee Account. NASCAR Races Into an Uncertain Future - The New York Times He finished second in the points three other years. "We'll get on track and kind of see where we stack up and go from there.". Maybe if you came in a little too hot in dirty air you would brake, but no. 117656-1, We ran third all day. Still with me? Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on Best Running / CC BY Martin Truex Jr. has won twice at Dover on Mondays. Here's how to score the best deals on tickets, plus all the free promotions you won't want to miss. NASCAR Racing Schedule, News, Results, and Drivers - Motorsports - ESPN It felt like weve been close a bunch of times, and we gave some away, thats for sure. The 2017 Cup champion has the blueprint on how to win at the Monster Mile on a Monday. Ousting Brian France, who created the Chase and presided over the sports decline, was no small part of that. Unfortunately, as the track built up rubber and I got in dirty air, we just couldnt find the grip we needed. Meanwhile, Kiefer Sutherland released NASCAR: The IMAX Experience, which allowed him to depict both his passion and the exhilarating essence of the sport. Bowman will miss at least the next three Cup races. 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. It was time.". First, I want to say so sorry to Brennan Poole and everybody at Rick Ware Racing. I remember watching it and literally wondering if I was going to see the finish of the race. - 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. NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver Obviously, we were pretty off there from when we unloaded, but we got quite a bit better, quite a bit closer, but we just needed to get the balance. However, NASCAR has developed rapidly in other parts of the United States, particularly in the north and west, with more races being held in those areas. NBC reported Monday that its broadcast of the NASCAR Cup championship race from Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida drew an average of 3.759 million viewers, its best audience for its half of the. Weve dominated races, and it just would never all come together. Chastain moved to the top of the points standings, replacing Christopher Bell. Excited about that, proud of our day especially Chris (Buescher) running well. It took quite a few years of longtime fans bitching about that, but NASCAR did finally move the Labor Day Southern 500 back to Darlington. Where Did All The NASCAR Fans Go? - Forbes 48 Ally Chevy team. Determined to rebound from a winless season, Truex opened his 18th full season with an exhibition victory in the Busch Light Clash in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. "I don't feel like it impacts me in the car at this point. 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. He won the Coke 600 and Brickyard 400 four times each and won the Southern 500 and Daytona 500 twice each. Ross Chastain placed second and was followed by Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Denny Hamlin. Younger brother Ryan Truex won the second-tier Xfinity Series race on Saturday for his first NASCAR victory across all three national series in 188 career starts. He won the championship three of those years. If you no longer want to NASCAR has been around for a longer time; it attracts a bigger audience, has more races, a longer season, and is more popular internationally than IndyCar. 2007: NASCAR debuts the 'Car of Tomorrow' which is a rather ugly piece of machinery. Photo credit: wjarrettc on Visual hunt / CC BY Photo credit: sidehike on Visual hunt / CC BY-SA Something broke a long time ago, like halfway through the race. With Iowa and Vermont making up the remainder of the top five. We are committed to I really wasnt using a lot of brake at all. Its not so much that the points reset NASCAR introduced in 2004 was a monumentally stupid idea. NASCAR's Popularity Race: The 50 All-Time Most Popular Drivers We came with something a little bit different to try and help that. Due to rain, NASCAR set for Monday race | National Sports Headlines 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. The list also includes Christopher Bell, reigning champion Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, and Ryan Blaney. It is what it is. 5. I owe them a big apology and a bit more. Jimmie won a lot. WSN.com has more information on the backgrounds of these three drivers, who are largely regarded as the finest in NASCAR history if you want to learn more about NASCAR. The attendance of Hollywood stars at NASCAR events is frequently linked to the marketing of their current films, including sponsorship deals that provide the colorful livery on vehicles. Christopher Bell placed sixth and was followed by Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher and Josh Berry, driving the No. Thanks to a race postponed a day because of rain, it was a long weekend sweep for the Truex brothers. Martin knows how to get to victory lane at Dover. In 1994, there were six events held at intermediate tracks of 1.5-2 miles in length. I just drove in side-by-side with No. The winner of the most awards is Bill Elliott with 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series. So if Im right, in a few years NASCAR may become Americas summer sport again. Racing is still pretty danged dangerous. No reason. So fans can choose what race to watch online. Just uncalled for. Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on VisualHunt.com / CC BY-SA Learn more >. If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. That's a mouthful for the actor who popularized the Silent Bob character in a number of his projects. NASCAR rose to prominence in the 1980s and 90s as TV became more and more involved. ET. NASCAR at Dover moved to today - hotsr.com (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Getty Images 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. Just because no one has been killed at the Cup level since Earnhardts death doesnt make it less so. Fortunately, NASCAR is finally addressing this. sportsbooks. 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. William Byron had one of the days fastest cars in the first two stages and led a race-high 193 laps. NASCAR possessed one of the greatest dynasties in the history of sports during Jimmies reign. Watch videos, and stay up-to-date with everything NASCAR. 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. Bobby Allison Finished second in the points five times before winning the 1983 championship. If you want to attribute the decline of NASCAR to arrogant leadership, look no further than that single act. The broadcasts really were over-saturated with ads enough to drive fans away. Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on Visualhunt / CC BY-SA One of the best things about NASCAR is the level of access that average fans have. With his brilliant head wrench Chad Knaus on the pit box, the #48 team for years remorselessly laid the field to waste when playoff time started. The sport no longer has Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Jimmie Johnson, so theres an opportunity for new fan favorites to emerge, formed by on-track performance rather than sentiment. 19 Toyota, but couldn't find his way to victory lane until Monday. Live race coverage and the latest NASCAR news, results, schedules, and race highlights from ESPN Jason Minto - freelancer, FR170619 AP. Although crowds and TV audiences have shrunk over the previous decade, NASCARs popularity has remained consistent. Although crowds and TV audiences have shrunk over the previous decade, NASCARs popularity has remained consistent. A total of 10.943 million viewers tuned. Commission, a sports betting vendor registration, under registration number #100400, issued by the Director The race will start at noon on the concrete-mile track. Whether youre shopping Way Day 2023 or Walmart, theres an al fresco set for you. Chastain, who has often been criticized for rough driving, was the central character in a Lap 81 crash. Get the latest NASCAR news, schedules, race results, standings, and highlights. According to the source, 26.9 percent of the population in Charlotte, North Carolina had watched, attended, or. Yes, NASCAR actually believed an artificial points reset after two thirds of the season was the move that was going to catapult them past the NFL. Truex was once of the most dominant drivers in the series, winning a career-best eight times in 2017 and 23 times overall from 2016 to 2019. Ross Chastain chased Truex over the closing miles but couldnt challenge for the lead. Those moments generate interestand rivalries, which every sport needs. I couldnt load the rear tires, and we were just hanging on. It just never all came together.. 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. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. No reason. No longer will teams win titles by dominating speedways; driver skill will be more of a factor, as it should be. As Ive said, the sport is finally addressing its venue problem. Johnson has competed in 666 races since winning his debut race at the UAW-GM Quality 500 in Charlotte, with 83 wins and 370 top-ten finishes. Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation. Access to this and all other statistics on 80,000 topics from, Show sources information Photo credit: sarahstierch on Visualhunt.com / CC BY 4. Gordon wasnt the only driver who turned in a spectacular season-long performance only to have it nullified. OK, here we go. He won the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 three times each. Monster Energy Series. After the race, Chastain said on FS1: I first have to say Im so sorry to Brennan and everybody at Rick Ware Racing. When I get home from Skip Barber (Tuesday), Ill head over there and talk to those guys and make some of that right.. 1 Jockey Chevy team and everybody at Trackhouse Racing, Advent Health, Moose Fraternity, Worldwide Express.