Because the sports are so closely connected yet with undeniable differences, when one series does something exciting, the attention naturally shifts to see how the other responds, Land said. That falls in the mid-range of its numbers for over-the-air network telecasts in 2019, but was a step up from last year’s championship showdown from Sonoma, which aired on NBCSN and averaged a 0.38/629,000. For more stats and facts on Nascar vs Indycar watch the informative videos below the graphic. So Gault knows that the debate probably isn’t necessary. Indycar has one big mainstream event, The Indy 500 and even that is behind the Daytona 500, the crown event of NASCAR. Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series season finale from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca averaged a 0.50 rating and 732,000 viewers on NBC. Johnson, meanwhile, is a seven-time NASCAR champion and four-time Brickyard 400 winner. 3 Costs. Just another reason why INDYCAR is better than NASCAR. It also has 72 years behind it and has survived many close calls of being disbanded as an organization. Ratings jumped 83% and viewership 69% from last year’s race, which aired on a college football Saturday (0.6, 995K). NTT INDYCAR SERIES Car. In a recent article, IndyCar blogger George Philips proposed that the decline of NASCAR is ultimately bad for IndyCar and all forms of motor sport in… Formula E vs. IndyCar vs. NASCAR vs. So, yeah, if he has to choose between IndyCar and NASCAR, IndyCar is his favorite. While NASCAR vehicles look like souped-up everyday cars, IndyCars are aerodynamic and very low profile, unlike any car you would normally see on the road. (Side note: Cars used in … Saturday’s IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Indianapolis averaged a 0.8 rating and 1.14 million viewers on NBC, marking the highest rated and most-watched edition of the race since its 2014 debut (0.9, 1.24M). NASCAR fans have driver allegiances at a high speed they can still follow. Endurance Racing. "They're different flavors of the same thing,” Doug Ellison, a fan of both series, said. Viewership of Saturday’s INDYCAR GMR Grand Prix on NBC was up 7% vs. the same race in 2019, while the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 was the most-watched Xfinity race from the Brickyard in three years (1.693 million, NBCSN, 2017), up 21% vs. the series’ four races on NBC in 2019. Luke Mercier makes a day of it, keeping a diecast of his favorite driver with him during the races as a superstition. The early replies started confused and gradually grew in frustration. At the same track later in the day, the NASCAR Xfinity Series averaged a 1.1 and 1.68 million — the series’ largest audience at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the 2017 race on NBCSN (1.1, 1.69M). Car weight: 1,500 pounds vs. 3,200 pounds, Cost per car: $15 million vs. $25 million, Top paid driver earnings: $2.5 million vs. $15 million, Naming rights: $10 million vs. $20 million, This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyStar asked whether IndyCar or NASCAR was better and you ripped us for it, Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, AT&T in advanced talks to merge WarnerMedia with Discovery, deal expected as soon as tomorrow, 11 Colleges With the Most Billionaire Alumni, Support our award-winning sports journalism and. 550 – 700 depending on turbo boost. “It was just kind of a community thing,” he said. NASCAR is more popular, there ratings that prove it. My personal preference is Indycar due to the elements of turning and braking in the races. IndyCar, from a numbers standpoint, is a world away from NASCAR. When it comes to racing, most fans are familiar with the three most popular leagues: NASCAR, the Indy 500, and Formula 1 (F1). Races fans older than 50 may believe the Indy car drivers of the 1970s and ’80s enjoyed greater popularity than their NASCAR counterparts. Keep in mind that NASCAR’s annual stop at IMS took place during football season the past two years. The following infographic compares Nascar to Indycar racing and although it does not touch all of the differences, it does cover some of the more interesting ones. The fandom has long been regional, with the south embracing NASCAR and IndyCar forming a hotbed within commuter distance of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each year, he’s sat in the same area and attended the same tailgate as his family welcomed friends into their yearly tradition. “That's what makes sports great.". Start the day smarter. In particular the championship has been bucking a trend that has seen NASCAR experience a decline in race attendance and viewing figures. But after its first two races of the season, the series is probably content with its … Its racing boomed in popularity in the 1980s and ’90s and became almost synonymous with racing. Behind the Shadowy Billion-Dollar Payouts of F1, NASCAR, and IndyCar We take an in-depth look at who makes the money—and how much—in the world's top … Gault knows what he enjoys, but so do the fans who don’t feel they have to choose. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. "There was a time when defending your position as the No. IndyCar-NASCAR doubleheader benefits both, News: NFL schedule, IndyCar, LaLiga, Marty Smith, Big names: Mayne, Berman, NHL hires and more. The differences are undeniable and they attract some fans with the same aspects of their series' that repel others. Lieu : 800 Boulevard René-Lévesque West, Suite 362-Succ B, Montreal, H3B 3B0, QC Despite being powered by a V-8 engine, “It's just a fun little rivalry," he said. Average viewership of NASCAR races is much higher that for your non-Indy 500 race at Indycar, which is closer to NASCAR feeder series or sportscars event. By the time Joseph Gault logged onto Twitter at 2 p.m., the conversation had already run away from him. Absolutely uncalled for!” one user wrote. The first IndyCar-NASCAR doubleheader was a ratings win for both. He will start last in the 25-car field because his two fastest laps were thrown out for interference. You can contact him here or on the Sports Media Watch Twitter page. Follow IndyStar sports reporter Michael McCleary on Twitter at @mikejmccleary. Guys like Dale … When it comes to speed, NASCAR undeniably falls behind the other two popular races, IndyCar and Formula 1. Doug Applegate enjoys the ease at which NASCAR can be watched on TV, but notes it can’t replace the Indy 500’s lure. “I thought it was a little silly: It's sports and I feel like everybody's allowed to like what they like,” Gault said. “Can't we be just plain racing fans?” said another. “Right now I'd say IndyCar and NASCAR fans are a lot closer than I've ever seen them in my lifetime,” said David Land, who covers motorsports through his YouTube channel. Saturday’s IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Indianapolis averaged a 0.8 rating and 1.14 million viewers on NBC, marking the highest rated and most-watched edition of the race since its 2014 debut (0.9, 1.24M). The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the premier level of open-wheel racing in North America. NASCAR has 40 races over a 9 month period. Interesting opinion of Indycar vs. NASCAR My dad isn't much of an Indycar fan he watches bits and pieces of races if I'm watching but not that often. NASCAR also has more races a year, and the season is much longer than an IndyCar season. In particular the championship has been bucking a trend that has seen NASCAR experience a decline in race attendance and viewing figures. Montoya, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, is seeking his first win on the track's road course and in his first IndyCar race since 2017. “But it has been close. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 20: Mark Martin speaks to the media following his induction to the NASCAR Hall of Fame at the NASCAR Hall of Fame … The biggest race in NASCAR is the Daytona 500, which is the first race of the season and takes place in Florida. He’d make slight digs at his friends who liked NASCAR, but he’d never look down on them. 1 series was important," says Roger Penske, whose 2012 teams led IndyCar in wins and clinched the NASCAR Sprint Cup title. Founded in 1948 by Bill France, Sr., the series started on humble dirt tracks, but it now races in huge stadiums across the country. Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. But there are so many forms of the sport of auto racing. IndyCar fans have cars that can be as much as 50 miles per hour faster and a love of the pure racing that it produces. The Indianapolis native attended his first Indianapolis 500 when he was 10 years old after developing a love for the sport attending practices and qualifications. We hear it every week. Yet ahead of a historic weekend of IndyCar and NASCAR unity with their first doubleheader, his viewpoint was rare. Ratings increased a tick and viewership 7% from last year, when the race was run as scheduled in May (0.7, 1.07M). The consensus was clear, and overwhelming: The doubleheader July 4-5 is an event that fanbases have never seen before. Chad Frankenfield has seen some of the greatest drivers ever do both, and it made it easy to appreciate each more. NASCAR fans have ignored, are ignoring and will likely continue to ignore the real reason that the sport’s popularity and fanbase are dwindling. However, fans under the age of 40 will likely contend today’s NASCAR drivers are the most recognizable racers in the United States. IndyCar has been making positive progress in recent seasons. IndyCar has been making positive progress in recent seasons. Top Speed: Approximately 235 mph Engine: Twin-turbocharged, 2.2-liter V-6 Horsepower: Approx. Home » Ratings » IndyCar-NASCAR doubleheader benefits both. The TV audience for NASCAR's championship race dropped 10% in one year, 19% in two years, 38% in three years, and, good golly Miss Molly, 51% since 2015, when NBC picked up … NASCAR is going downhill. NASCAR exploded in popularity and blew past its bitter rival as the place to race. I understand that stock cars and open-wheel cars are totally different and that transitioning is difficult after so many years spent. RELATED: Pitstop Comparisons: F1 vs. nascar vs indycar Most of the INDYCAR guys that went to NASCAR have failed for the few exceptions. The first IndyCar-NASCAR doubleheader was a ratings win for both. Yet new fans, by way of easily-accessible technology, grow up equidistant from the online IndyCar and NASCAR experiences that keep growing. Gault is a lifelong IndyCar fan. The debate is produced organically, even if it can go unnoticed. You can’t beat it, he said, the smell of it and the whipping noises as the cars run by on their first lap. Over the years, social media has made following both much easier. The biggest difference between the two forms of car racing is the appearance of the two cars. Including streaming, the race averaged 1.69 million. The race peaked with 1.31 million viewers from 1:30-1:45 PM ET and averaged 1.15 million with streaming included. The doubleheader this weekend 4-5 offers the opportunity to mesh the two circuits like never before, and both series stand to benefit. INDYCAR Car Comparisons. But the debate has long been a part of the sport, and its presence doesn’t have to detract from each series. It has a strong group of core fans that keep it going. West Palm Beach, Fla., was a distant second for both, with a 3.0 for NASCAR and a 1.9 for IndyCar. An hour before Gault chimed in, IndyStar Sports sent out a Tweet asking fans which series they preferred. “Why is this post necessary?” another wrote. Yesterday he sat and watched just about the entire Indy 500 and after he gave an interesting observation. Gault said the fandom conversations have never been volatile, though. Viewership peaked at 1.99 million from 5 PM through the conclusion. Image credit Josh Hallett/Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. The weight of the cars is also very different, with NASCARs we Variations in ratings, particularly NASCAR's, this time of year, are mostly how compelling and who is playing in the golf, and when the baseball teams popular in places racing is popular are playing. Dr. Jon Lewis (aka Paulsen) has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and sole writer of Sports Media Watch. NASCAR fans have driver allegiances at a high speed they can still follow. “Are you trying to divide people? The Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota cars are fast in their own rights, but working against them is their weight, which, on average, comes in at around or even above 1,360 kg (3,000 lbs). Races fans older than 50 may believe the Indy car drivers of the 1970s and ’80s enjoyed greater popularity than their NASCAR counterparts. And the motor sports community has craved something new and interesting since the coronavirus shutdown paused competition during prime racing months. While the tracks may look identical and the races have the same basic set of rules, the racecars themselves have a number of differences. Gearbox: Assisted six-speed paddle shift plus reverse Fuel: Speedway E85 (blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent racing gasoline) Tires: Firestone Firehawk (ungrooved racing slicks; grooved wet-condition … Indianapolis led all markets for both races, averaging a 5.1 for NASCAR and a 4.9 for IndyCar. By nature of being the two giants in American motor sports, a divide has always existed between the two fanbases. Drivers racing in IndyCar and NASCAR events on the same day — as Kurt Busch did in 2014, albeit at venues hundreds of miles apart — would help integrate normally disparate sets of fans. For the season, Saturday’s race ranks as the most-watched Xfinity Series event since the season opener from Daytona in February (1.81M). Here is how IndyCar and NASCAR compare in various categories based on the most recent reported information. In the late '90s, the sport of NASCAR was gaining serious momentum. Actually, RACINGnomics did a regression model that showed, all else equal, when NASCAR airs at the same time as IndyCar, IndyCar loses 25% of its audience. So, on average, NASCAR is still the more popular of the two. IndyCar fans have cars that can be as much as 50 miles per hour faster and a love of the pure racing that it produces. Overall attendance and television ratings are just two metrics that illustrate that NASCAR is still well ahead of IndyCar on many levels. IndyCar was once more popular than NASCAR, but NASCAR is now the most popular form of racing in America. In a recent article, IndyCar blogger George Philips proposed that the decline of NASCAR is ultimately bad for IndyCar and all forms of motor sport in… There's a famous saying involving motor sports: if you want to become a millionaire in racing, start as a billionaire. “Motorsports are better for having different flavors of the same thing.". And there's always going to need to be a comparison.”. Its parent company began in 1996 as the Indy Racing League (IRL), which was created by then Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George as a competitor to CART.In 2008, the IndyCar Series merged with CART's successor, the Champ Car World Series. Fans at 2020 Indy 500: IMS plans to allow 50% capacity, 7 things fans need to know about new 2020 Indy 500 plan, Local Indy 500 TV blackout still planned, despite 50% cap on spectators, IndyStar asked whether IndyCar or NASCAR was better and you ripped us for it.