“It’s all coming together”: NASCAR executive highlights sports’ social media-driven growth in the modern era

NASCAR has witnessed significant growth in the audience during the 2024 season. In an interview on Thursday, the Stock Car Association's social media director Torey Fox highlighted that the follower count on their social media has grown 14% as compared to the previous year, and revealed the strategy that helped them achieve this feat.

The governing body's Instagram has witnessed a growth of 41% YoY, amassing about a million followers in 2024. Fox said that they are working on modern-era social strategies primarily focusing on Instagram Reels. In the past three months, the new follower count on NASCAR's Instagram account has reached up to 65% till mid-November, with the majority of the audience coming via Reels.

Speaking to Alyssa Meyers in an interview with Marketing Brew this week, Torey Fox cited the popularity of the content format, mentioning how a reel of a fuel cap coming off during a pit stop gained over 60 million views. Discussing their success in offering new audiences a deeper understanding of NASCAR such as the playoffs system, Fox brushed upon the success of their social media campaigns, saying:

“There’s just an energy, and there’s a momentum, and a vibe. It’s all coming together here. We’re as motivated and as fired up as we’ve ever been going into 2025,” Fox said.

He added that the social media team collaborated with various influencers for race coverage to explain races to a wider demographic, claiming that it was a valuable aspect of their social media success.

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NASCAR is returning to the historic venue after decades in the 2025 season

Amid their success in engaging the audience to take things up a notch, NASCAR announced their return to historic Bowman Gray Stadium after a long hiatus of 51 years since Bobby Allison won the final race held on the track in 1971. The Clash at Bowman track is scheduled for February 2, 2025.

The historic venue is situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, featuring a quarter-mile-long oval track. The track is often referred to as NASCAR's longest-running weekly racetrack. Bowman Gray Stadium hosted 29 Cup Series races from 1958 to 1971, and Bob Welborn won the debut race.

For the 2025 season, the Cup Series drivers will run a 125-lap race covering 37.5 miles. The event will also feature an additional exhibition race at the Madhouse Classic on February 1, 2025, ahead of the main race the next day. The governing body will only invite the top 20 drivers for the main race from the Bowman Gray Stadium Modified Points Standings.

NASCAR analyst Bob Pockrass recently highlighted the tickets for the main event have been sold out months ahead of the race, hinting towards the success stock car racing has achieved this season through modern-era strategies.