After the furor, intensity, and thrill of the season, the next few weeks would invariably involve analysis and reflection on how the season fared. While NASCAR president Steve Phelps attempted to convince the racing community of the merits and attractions of the playoff system, the reality is far more bleak.

The racing authority can no longer deny the dwindling popularity of the historic sport. Longtime fans refused to accept surface-level visuals of crowded bleachers and demanded substantial changes to restore its former glory.

NASCAR President admitted they had little luck in drawing viewers this season

NASCAR enjoyed a phenomenal viewership a decade ago. All other plans were canceled for a Sunday race and no other program took precedence over the oval tracks. But it is no secret that the racing authority has struggled to retain viewers in recent times. Welcoming newer fans into their fold became an even more difficult task. As a result, the prestigious Daytona 500 race was merely viewed by 8.18 million people this year, as opposed to 16.65 million that tuned in 2013.

The numbers showed no signs of improvement toward the end of the season. NASCAR writer Austin Konenski shared data from the penultimate race of the season at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. According to Konenski, the qualification race for the Championship 4 contenders drew in 2.6% fewer viewers compared to last season. Prior to the season finale in Phoenix, NASCAR president Steve Phelps also addressed the issue.

Phelps insisted, “[We] Had 50% more sellouts this year than we had last year. I think everyone who goes to the racetrack can agree that not only do the crowds look better and they do, but the energy level coming to a NASCAR race is as good as it’s been in a decade. It is our goal to continue to have growth in attendance at all of our racetracks.” Even if ticket sales had improved, Phelps was forced to admit that the TV ratings were a genuine cause for concern.

Watch this story: Ross Chastain Makes NASCAR History in Phoenix After 9 Years

Phelps said, “Television has been a bit of a mixed bag with the Cup being low single digits as well as our Craftsman Truck Series- low single digits and then the Infinity Series being up, I would say that we haven’t had great luck.” If the troubling numbers in Phoenix were any indication, the governing body would require far more than luck to negotiate broadcasting rights next year.

Racing community joins together to highlight the “decline” of the NASCAR racing season

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The culminating championship race became the final litmus test to gauge the severity of the situation. Unfortunately, the preliminary data suggested less than 3 million people saw the Cup racers engaged in a grueling battle for the season’s title. The racing community was immensely disappointed at the current state of affairs. Popular Youtuber Darian Gilliam shared his frustration on his social media account.

Gilliam’s post quickly gained steam, and several racing enthusiasts chimed in agreement. “It was growing again last year. But we already lost all the steam.” Soon enough, suggestions poured in to improve the ratings in the future. One social media user felt the current playoff system was too complicated to follow. 

“I think making everything simple to understand will help gain viewers. I mean look at Indycar and F1, full season championship is very easy to understand week after week.”

Another called out the NASCAR leadership for their futile attempts at covering up this information. 

“NASCAR needs better leadership that doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Stop lying to us that there isn’t a problem and just fix it.”

One racing fan was convinced people did not appreciate the absence of popular racer Chase Elliott in the championship run. “Maybe it was the Chase Elliott Effect but that’s just me putting the tinfoil hat on”.

The message was clear to the governing body. The racing community wished to see effective measures to address the falling numbers and NASCAR needed to heed their legitimate concerns before it worsened next season.

“Lord Have Mercy” – NASCAR Legends Shaken With the Quality of Racing in Phoenix