Although NASCAR still holds a strong following, it no longer commands the towering viewership and diehard fanbase it enjoyed in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The sport has tried to rekindle that flame with new formats, car changes, and rule adjustments, yet Brad Keselowski believes three fundamental steps are needed.
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Speaking with Jeff Gluck on his 12 Questions segment, Keselowski said, “The first one is the tracks, in general, need to find more ways to generate revenue outside of NASCAR. A lot of these tracks you go to, if you come to them on a Tuesday, three weeks before or after the race, there’s like three people that work there. There’s nobody around…”
In his view, tracks must generate enough capital to reinvest in the fan experience or be heavily subsidized through media rights deals to remain viable. Without that, the ripple effect is damaging: fan experience that falls short compared to other sports and reduced cash flow that could otherwise fund teams or allow testing opportunities.
The second fix Keselowski outlined struck at the playoff format itself. “The whole playoff thing has to go away. The nuance of having 10 races that are more important than 20-some others is very unhealthy for the sport. It’s demeaning to the other tracks and races. And unfortunately, those 10 races that are supposed to mean more are in direct competition with other sports. It muddies the water. It’s not working for the sport.”
Opinions about the playoff format remain split across the garage. His former Team Penske stablemates Austin Cindric and Joey Logano have backed NASCAR’s current winner-take-all finale, while Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, and Christopher Bell favor a full-season points system.
Finally, the RFK Racing co-owner stressed the importance of courting new OEMs, describing them as a rising tide that lifts all boats. Fresh manufacturers would not only funnel investment into teams but also bolster tracks through advertising and add value to media rights holders, which would help increase the popularity of the sport again.
As far as the season is concerned, Keselowski finds himself on the outside of the playoff picture with seven races to go. Still, the 41-year-old proved his mettle at Bristol last weekend, where he grabbed a top-five finish in the Round of 16 and missed the win by just 0.0343 seconds.
