2.87 million. That was NASCAR’s average viewership for 2024. In a time when even this number sounds like a relief for fans, NASCAR should know it’s in trouble. Sure, there’s a $7.7 billion deal already in place and Daytona’s 6.7 million viewers gave a glimmer of hope, but is it really enough? Is NASCAR doing everything it can to bring in viewers or should it go the F1 route?

For years NASCAR’s identity has been rooted in its Southern origins and blue-collar fan base, for whom visiting races such as Bristol is a pilgrimage. But, the times are changing. The traditional fan base, although fiercely loyal, is aging. Younger fans, raised in a digital era of instant access and global entertainment, are finding the traditional sport less interesting compared to the alternatives.

Today’s generation is falling for the allure of Formula 1’s international reach, with F1 rapidly growing in the US, with races in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas leading to NASCAR’s audience decreasing and TV ratings falling. ESPN US averaged 1.13 million viewers for the F1 season in 2024, and the sport has only recently broken into the American market. In such a time, is it really surprising when Michael McDowell is asking NASCAR to follow in F1’s footsteps and go international? 

In an interview with Jeff Gluck, McDowell said, “Our racing is so, so good and so captivating. What we do on the racetrack is awesome, and we need to bring that to more people, more eyeballs. International. Which we’re doing by going to Mexico City. But even more international events. Mexico City is a great start, but we should be going to Interlagos [in Brazil], we should be going to Spa [Belgium], we should be going to Monza [Italy].”

When Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Executive Vice President announced the move to Mexico, it was surprising. “We’ve been talking about the continued iteration of our schedule, right? You can go back a few years, went to new markets like Nashville and Austin, Texas. We went to the Coliseum for the Clash. … We went to our first street race in downtown Chicago, and this is going to be another first for us in a lot of ways. This is going to be certainly a monumental event for us, the first time we’re going south of the border.” For a sport that started with bootlegging across the border, a race beyond those borders could very well bring the viewership the sport needs.

And NASCAR’s plans also seem to align with McDowell’s ideas. The Mexico Race and the Clash at Bowman Gray prompted a potential international venue for the first race of the season. As SBJ’s Adam Stern reported, “[NASCAR] is using its season-opening Clash exhibition this year to go back to a classic venue that the Cup Series hasn’t run at since 1971 in Bowman Gray Stadium, but next year the event could be held overseas, possibly Brazil, as the racing property also looks to grow globally.” 

Coming back to NASCAR’s international, while going to Europe is still a long way ahead, it’s not unrealistic. NASCAR’s Euro Series runs on a bunch of different European tracks, with Belgium even hosting a race back in 2012. Perhaps what NASCAR needs is some middle ground, something Dale Jr. was happy to provide.

When reports of the Cup Series potentially going abroad first emerged, Junior wasn’t exactly on board. “I don’t care if my Cup racing goes overseas. I’m not for it or against it. It doesn’t excite me, you know, but I’ll watch it. But I’m not going to be sad if it doesn’t happen,” he said. But when it came to the exhibition race, Junior had some ideas to suggest. “I think that one track that they absolutely should look at is Brands Hatch. The Indy course at Brands Hatch, it’s like a short-track road course. I don’t think, they’re wanting to take the Clash maybe overseas or to some different countries. I think you have to keep it on that short-circuit format. You can’t go to these long mile-and-a-half or two-and-a-half-mile or three-mile road courses and have the Clash. That is not going to be fun. … So, they may have some tracks that exist, some small ovals that exist in some of these countries that they can try to run at.”

The historic track is located in England, with many drivers also practicing it on the sim. While it doesn’t line up with McDowell’s vision for an international future, it does hold a part of it. NASCAR could be visiting the best tracks of the world, and gaining an international fan following. But what if there was a way to add even more fans to the sport, a way to bridge the gap between the traditional sport and the new generation?

The Hybrid Revolution: Can NASCAR Embrace Change?

NASCAR, along with expanding its international footprint with the inaugural race in Mexico City, has also taken some steps in the direction of shifting into the world of hybrid and electric power trains. Last year at Chicago Street Race, the unveiling of the prototype for sports’ first electric race car, developed in collaboration with Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, and ABB, marked a turning point for the future of the sport.

NASCAR purists may find offense with this idea, with something else replacing their beloved ‘gas-guzzlers’, but the hybrid system can enhance the racing experience, taking the example from Endurance racing or Formula 1, who have embraced the hybrid engines, with F1 even aiming to be carbon neutral. This could also appeal to environmentally friendly fans, a growing demographic, who reject NASCAR for its anti-environmental technologies.

The challenge lies in balancing tradition and innovation. For years, NASCAR has been known for gasoline-powered V8 engines rumbling and battling it out on the ovals, if NASCAR could somehow retain the sport’s identity while also aligning itself with sustainability. It would hit the sweet spot where the traditional fans are happy and the younger audiences are also attracted to the great American art of stock car racing.