“HOLY S**T”: Fans left stunned as IndyCar viewership numbers confirm double-fold popularity growth

IndyCar fans were jubilant following the 2025 season-opening Grand Prix of St Petersburg's success in terms of viewership. The event, making its return to FOX Sports after six seasons, garnered significant numbers after a concerning 2024 campaign.

According to Adam Stern, Sunday’s (March 2) race at St. Petersburg averaged 1.417 million viewers, peaking at over 1.8 million. This marks a 45 percent increase from last year’s season opener, which reached 975,000 viewers on NBC. Additionally, this makes the 2025 St. Petersburg GP the most-watched edition since 2011.

For comparison, the 2024 season (excluding the Indy 500) averaged just 637,000 viewers per race. The huge boost in ratings is a positive sign for the racing series, as concerns about the sport’s popularity have been raised in recent years.

Following the announcement, fans flooded social media with excitement. Many credited FOX Sports’ aggressive promotion for the surge in interest. One user wrote on X:

"HOLY S**T. LETS GOOO"

Another user pointed out:

"Edged out NBC's all-time high in 2022 also"

Below are more fan reactions to the positive viewership update after the St. Petersburg race.

"Not a bad start for Fox. Hopefully they can keep the momentum going," wrote a fan.

"The future is bright and there is more where that came from," commented another user.

"Even as a NASCAR fan that's great to hear," a fifth user added.

Another fan commented "Fox promoted the crap out of it compared to NBC. Good to see it pay off."

Meanwhile, the season opener at St. Petersburg saw some familiar faces grace the podium.

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Who won the IndyCar race at St. Petersburg?

(L-R) 2nd place finisher Scott Dixon, winner Alex Palou, and 3rd place finisher Josef Newgarden pose with their trophies on the podium after the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou kicked off his title defense in style. He secured the season's first victory in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Starting from eighth place, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver executed a brilliant tire strategy, allowing him to leapfrog Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden in the final pit stops. Palou built a five-second lead before holding off his challengers to claim his 12th career win. It was also his first-ever season-opening victory.

While Palou’s undercut strategy paid off, his teammate Scott Dixon faced setbacks with traffic and radio issues, preventing him from securing the win. He finished second, with Josef Newgarden rounding out the podium. Pole-starter Scott McLaughlin finished fourth.

The next race is set to be the Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix. It will be held on March 23 in Thermal, California.