Why Is NASCAR One of the USA’s Most Popular Sports?

With capacity crowds of nearly a quarter of a million people at Indianapolis, it’s certainly fair to say that motorsport is a big part of American society. There is no finer example of this than with NASCAR which has over the years cemented itself as one of America’s most popular sports – here’s why.
One of the primary reasons why NASCAR can be seen to have garnered a lot of popularity among the American people is due to its local nature. A lot of the teams and drivers are American themselves meaning there’s a certain element of patriotism that comes into play when picking someone to support.
This isn’t necessarily the same for Formula One given the wider international variety of teams and drivers. Even then, there are not that many sports where the Americans are this well represented. Americans in Formula One, for instance, have been few and far between. The last successful one that springs to mind is Phill Hill back in the sixties who is the only American to have ever become Formula One World Champion, although others such as Mario Andretti and Dan Gurney have become key names in their own right over the years and increased the profile of the sport across the pond from Europe.

In a similar vein to these local dimensions, another reason why NASCAR can be seen to be popular is thanks to its relatability. Unlike in Formula One where drivers can come from privileged backgrounds by way of getting a leg up from people they know, a lot of those involved in NASCAR started out at the bottom and have worked their way up. In part, this draws a parallel to the way the sport began originally some decades ago. The origins of NASCAR lie within prohibition-era America and a meet-up of bootleggers who started racing. It was only in December 1947 when a meeting of drivers, mechanics and owners resulted in the formation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or in other words, NASCAR.
Given its high popularity, it therefore makes sense that NASCAR has been immortalized in all sorts of media. There have been movies such as Talladega Nights starring Will Ferrell and Days of Thunder from 1990 starring Tom Cruise. Gaming of all sorts also gets on board with NASCAR. There are racing video games like the NASCAR Heat series. Online slots, as demonstrated thanks to an article by BonusFinder US, can take all sorts of different forms. So when picking up the free spins and no-deposit options that BonusFinder reveals, NASCAR fans may wish to use them on racing-themed games. This demonstrates the wide range of applications that NASCAR can have, as well as also the diversification of slot games over the years as another form of entertainment with its own enduring popularity.

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

There’s no doubt that NASCAR is one of America’s most popular sports and that there’s a myriad of reasons why this is. Given how relatable the sport can be seen to be, and also its locality, it’s offered a prime opportunity for plenty of Americans to get behind their specific teams and drivers that has continued to make it one of the most popular sports on the Western side of the Atlantic.