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The Cup Series is one of the most celebrated series in NASCAR’s history. The series has grown rapidly both in terms of attendance as well as viewership over the years. However, according to reports from NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports, the 2022 Cup Series has drawn the largest audience compared to the last five years.
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The 2022 Cup Series has only completed ten races, and the turnout at all the tracks has been staggering. The massive turnout has been spurred by several factors, including the launch of the new Gen-7 car and a new fan base.
According to Speedway Motorsports Chief Operating Officer Mike Burch, they have encountered an uptrend in attendance exceeding 20% of previous years' in their four races this season. Additionally, during this year’s Daytona 500, NASCAR declared that tickets had sold out six days prior to the event, an occurance which had not transpired in the previous years. Moreover, Daytona 500 2022 was the most viewed season in comparison to others.
Phoenix Raceway made history when it sold out for the first time in over a decade. Atlanta Motor Speedway recorded its highest crowd since 2014. Martinsville Speedway too had its highest attendance since 2015.
Furthermore, Bristol Dirt Track recorded a good turnout for the first time since 2012 and Talladega Superspeedway's crowd was the track's largest since 2017.
NASCAR surpasses F1 and IndyCar in viewership
NASCAR's increased popularity has not only impacted track turnout but also viewership and race ratings. NASCAR is currently hitting the headlines for being one of the most watched sports over the weekend, surpassing the likes of F1 and IndyCar, which have also been reporting an increase in their viewership.
According to FOX Sport, this year's Cup Series has averaged 4.76 million viewers, which is 17% higher than last year’s first ten races. Only one Cup race this season, the one in Martinsville, has marginally dropped in viewership compared to the previous years.
The Bristol race was expected to garner low rankings and viewership, since it was held on an Easter weekend, however, it boasted a total viewership of 1.17 million, which was its highest audience since the last five years.
