F1 is doing its best to take over the US market. But according to an ex-FOX broadcaster, NASCAR has its own F1 variant in the IMSA Series, which recently raised quite a few eyebrows after their successful Rolex 24 campaign this year. The recent rise in the event’s popularity is a testament to the challenge that Formula 1 could face against IMSA, owned by the France family, even if it dominates more than traditional stock racing.

NASCAR veteran draws sharp comparison to F1

The 24 Hours of Daytona, more commonly known as the Rolex 24, lived up to its hype this year. Over the four days, the event witnessed a whopping 180,000 crowd, with the attendance peaking at a whopping 50,000 on Saturday.

Fans also watched the race online through the official YouTube channel, which garnered 3.8 million views, witnessing a 30% increase from last year. Meanwhile, NBC also witnessed 1.1 million viewers, a whopping 49% increase.

These numbers have drawn significant attention from fans, and NASCAR’s ownership of IMSA certainly signals a positive development for the sport. In fact, Kenny Wallace was so impressed by this that he drew a strange comparison with Formula 1.

“Is @IMSA the new @F1 in America? NASCAR owns IMSA,” he wrote on X.

The France family owns IMSA, just like they own NASCAR. So, Wallace is making it clear that F1 has a tough rival ready. While this comparison might sound odd, it is actually a very positive sign for stock racing’s future in the USA. F1 has been expanding its presence in the country. Being one of the most popular forms of motorsports in the world helps it. Meanwhile, NASCAR has more of a national appeal.

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While stock racing seems to be quite a different world to compare F1 with, IMSA is much closer to the technological aspects of it, which makes F1 so unique. Pairing that with the numbers that the Rolex 24 garnered this year, the future seems to be bright for NASCAR despite the domination that F1 is attempting to establish.

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How is F1 expanding its US audience?

Ever since Liberty Media took over Formula 1, the sport has been making quite a few changes to its schedule and approach towards the audience in the United States. With the introduction of the Drive to Survive show on Netflix, the sport gained massive popularity globally, especially in the US. Following this, the sport introduced the Miami Grand Prix in 2022, followed by the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Along with the US GP held in Texas, there are now three separate races that Formula 1 holds in the country. While compared to other national series, this number might seem low, this is the most times F1 visits a country throughout the length of a season. The races have also witnessed good viewership through the years, despite some backlash considering the ticket pricing of the Las Vegas GP.

When put head-to-head with NASCAR, it seems that F1 is taking the lead, slowly but surely. However, considering some of the major decisions the France family has made more recently, NASCAR might be able to battle against F1 to remain the dominant motorsport form in the country.