NASCAR has always battled a perception that the sport is loud and limited just to the American tracks. Its popularity is challenged on the other side of the world, where endurance racing events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans have been quite popular to be considered as the peak of motorsports entertainment. But when a seven-time Cup champion stepped on that historic stage, his reception forced many to rethink how the world views NASCAR.

Jimmie Johnson reveals the truth about NASCAR’s popularity outside of the US

“I went to the Spa 6-hour race last year, turned up on Thursday[…] A couple of fans saw me. I come back Friday, and there were hundreds of fans with #48 gear. Like, how in the hell, like where did this come from?”

Understandably, it could be quite surprising for any NASCAR star outside America. For a long time, NASCAR has remained a part of the US and has mostly competed nationally. When compared to a series like Formula 1, which has a more global approach, NASCAR might not replicate that.

However, stock racing has its own demand with motorsports fans around the world. And no one does it better than NASCAR. The base the sport has made in recent years is quite huge, and Johnson was surprised to see it.

“To see the fans that showed up at Le Mans when we’re there in the garage 56 car and the love of the V8, the respect of motorsport, I mean, call car culture in Europe is quite impressive. So, I believe there is a respect,” he told Will Buxton and Kevin Harvick.

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It seems rather obvious that people know Jimmie Johnson. He is simply one of the best drivers who have ever driven in NASCAR. Winning seven titles and then owning a full-time Cup Series team now seems like a part of his daily routine, and he executes it perfectly.

At peak popularity, Johnson was a household name in America. He dominated the Cup field, excelling in the Chase format. At the time, there seemed to be no driver to top him. He became a strong force with Hendrick Motorsports, but after 2010, he struggled with performance.

When NASCAR finally gave up the Chase format for the elimination-style playoff championship format, it hurt Johnson the most. He was, understandably, a master of the Chase. But this format demanded something else, and he slowly faded out of mainstream before retiring from full-time racing at the end of the 2020 season. Yet, he is extremely popular, as his little incident in Europe reveals.

In recent years, both NASCAR and Formula 1 have been attempting to cater to each other’s audience. The latter has been making a strong base in the US with three Grand Prix. On the other hand, NASCAR is attempting to go more global. In fact, the sport might soon be moving to more international venues.

NASCAR’s international approach?

NASCAR’s executive VP Ben Kennedy might have dropped a major hint regarding the sport’s future, claiming to perhaps cross the borders.

“[The ultimate goal] is to improve the fan experience and bring out people to our events and tune into TV every week,” he said earlier. “So, that could be through initiatives like esports [and] international.”

This could be a major hint. Although the Cup Series has already gone international once with the race in Mexico, this would be different. It is expected that NASCAR might consider putting some ocean between its races. This is an extremely interesting concept.

According to speculation, the Fuji Speedway in Japan is a strong contender for this, and so is Brands Hatch in England.

As of now, however, nothing has been confirmed. NASCAR is now catering to a larger audience, and their investments in e-sports prove it. The time was different when the likes of Jimmie Johnson took to the track. It was a big deal that they managed to build global popularity back then.

However, times are changing, and so is NASCAR. While he might have found some fans outside of the country, it wouldn’t be surprising in the future to see the sport push all out across the borders.