NASCAR is made for the fans. Throughout its long history, the sport has focused on giving spectators the best on-track experience, especially those who dedicate their time to being present in the grandstands. However, it is quite apparent that in the more recent years, the sport has been more focused on increasing its TV ratings. The introduction of the playoff format and the stage structure are a few to mark, and safe to say, the fans don’t remain impressed by these.

In fact, there used to be one very interesting element during race weekends where the fans could meet and interact with their favorite drivers, and it remained a major attraction for fans to attend races. However, that was closed owing to several reasons. But after years, JR Motorsports driver Rajah Caruth urges NASCAR to bring it back.

Rajah Caruth reflects on NASCAR’s fan event

NASCAR’s RaceDay was a major attraction for the fans, as mentioned. Shortly after it was started in 2001, the races saw fans surging the grandstands, and the event was an instant hit. In fact, it remained a huge reason to attend races in person throughout the 2000s and the early 2010s. But owing to hosting costs and logistics, as well as several other reasons, the sport’s authorities decided to stop hosting this around the end of the 2013 season.

This was also the time that the sport focused more on improving the TV ratings. However, even after years, 23-year-old Rajah Caruth feels that the concept should be brought back. He went into nostalgia and appreciated the Bristol Motor Speedway’s fanzone.

“This was such a good core memory,” he wrote on X. “Bristol’s fan midway area is great too, now having done appearances in it for the past few years. Hopefully more things like raceday and a weekly or nightly nascar show can return.”

There was not one reason for the RaceDay to stop. In fact, it did not happen in an abrupt announcement, either. The event was broadcast live on TV between 2005 and 2013 on Speed. However, after the transition to Fox Sports 1, the show’s segment was cut down, and most of the on-site production was stripped off.

The show still went on, but the segment where the fans could interact with the drivers no longer existed after 2013. This was seemingly because FOX prioritized a more centralized and lower-cost studio production. Understandable why fans are still not satisfied with the broadcaster.

RaceDay also meant higher production costs, with estimates claiming the cost for each episode was around $800k. This, along with the channel’s transition, were some of the reasons the RaceDay came to an end, despite its popularity.

At the same time, the sport was looking forward to investing more in its broadcasting deal, in an attempt to improve its ratings.

The sport has been huge in the TV ratings. Their media rights deal pays them well, and with the updated Charter Agreement after the lawsuit settlement, the teams will also get a better share of the same.

Despite all the changes that the sport has introduced, however, the TV ratings seem to be falling with every passing year. Many have called for a change, including a veteran driver.

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Cheaper tickets, more hot dogs: Veteran driver calls to make events more fan-friendly

The cost of NASCAR tickets has increased quite a bit in recent years. Currently, the most expensive tickets for the Daytona 500 can go up to $500, with the more expensive hospitality experiences. However, owing to the lack of attendance in other races, veteran driver Mark Martin calls for the sport to focus more on the fans who want to attend the races physically.

He also claimed that the sport has been losing the TV ratings despite all the work that has been put into it, so now it might be time to reduce the ticket prices and give fans a one-to-one experience. He further suggested that the sport should focus on other things to recover the costs, like selling more hot dogs.

“TV ratings are important, but we’ve chased them for 20 years now and they’ve gone down consistently. It’s time to quit chasing them and just go back to chasing the race fan,” he suggested. “I believe it’s time to start selling tickets to these races, putting people back in the stands. For me, if that means cutting the ticket prices, good. Just sell some more hot dogs, and beers and drinks.”

NASCAR has traditionally been a true experience for fans. However, it is understandable that the sponsorships, advertisements, and the overall media rights deal pay the sport well. Yet, it is important to focus on the fans who attend the races, otherwise the sport could be looking forward to empty stands in the future.