With merely 62 days remaining until the Daytona 500 kicks off the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, debates surrounding the race’s significance have sparked among fans. While some critics are arguing that the event has lost its allure of late, NASCAR enthusiasts are rallying in defense of one of the sport’s most iconic races.
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A fan page recently shared a critical opinion, stating: “The #Daytona500 is no longer special. It’s glamour comes from it being the first race of the year. Gone are the days of building the best rocketship, massaging it for weeks, testing, qualifying, finding a handle, and surviving 500 miles. In addition, it’s a crap shoot.”
The #Daytona500 is no longer special.
It's glamour comes from it being the first race of the year.
Gone are the days of building the best rocketship, massaging it for weeks, testing, qualifying, finding a handle, and surviving 500 miles.
In addition, it's a crap shoot.
— Opinions on NASCAR (William Richard) (@nascar_opinion) December 15, 2024
But fans defending the prestigious event, said, “lol what a horrible take the 500 is the most watched and looked forward to race of the whole season.” Another dismissed the critique outright, stating, “I hate this narrative that SS don’t require any skill. When the same drivers (Brad K, Buescher, Cindric, Busch) are always running towards the front.”
I don’t care I still love the 500 and still look forward to it every year
— Anthony Michael Galzerano (@galzeranoa) December 15, 2024
Others shared their connections to the race. One fan expressed, “It’s still special to me. I love that day and celebrate it all weekend .” Another highlighted the drivers’ perspective, adding, “I’m pretty sure every single driver would disagree.”
Drivers like Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski show that fans are right to believe that the famed 500-mile-long event remains one of the most important races for a stock car racing driver.
Even after a highly successful 19 years on the Cup circuit, Busch has never managed to win the iconic race. As the 2024 season loomed ahead, Busch reiterated that he has an eye on one prize, saying, “Man, I would love nothing more than to win the Daytona 500.”
The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Keselowski, is also seeking his first Daytona 500 victory in earnest.
Has the Daytona 500 lost its appeal?
Among NASCAR’s 36 annual races, the Daytona 500 has consistently reigned as the most-watched event of the season. In 2006 Daytona 500 set the all-time record at 19.4 million viewers, followed closely by the 2002 edition, which attracted 18.8 million viewers.
However, in recent years, the numbers have seen a decline. In 2023, viewership peaked at 10.1 million viewers, while the average stood at 8.17 million. The 2024 Daytona 500 again saw a dip, averaging 5.96 million viewers. The decline was likely influenced by the rain delay, which postponed the event by a day and disrupted its broadcast momentum.
While NASCAR does not release official attendance figures, reports suggest the 2024 Daytona 500 was a sellout, with approximately 150,000 fans in attendance. Looking ahead to the 2025 Daytona 500, it will be intriguing to see how NASCAR’s efforts to attract a new audience impact viewership.
