NASCAR has made several moves over recent years to appeal to the broader motorsports market and the younger crowd. This has inadvertently caused some worries among the traditional fans that their likes and dislikes will become inconsequential with time. However, Leigh Diffey doesn’t believe this concern to carry ground.
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The Australian-American commentator had a stellar season in NBC Sports’ broadcasting booth in 2024. He was recently in conversation with Speedcafe TV, an Australian motorsports channel when he expressed his opinion that NASCAR would never ignore its core group of fans.
He reflected on the stands of the executives at NASCAR, “What they’re willing to do and try is to say, ‘Look. We will always respect our hardcore foundation fan group. We are never going to go away from Talladega, Martinville, and Darlington. And what have you? But we also do need to explore different markets and try different things.'”
The main cause for concern is the introduction of new fixtures, such as the Chicago Street Course race, into the schedule. Diffey noted how simply introducing road courses in NASCAR back in the day evoked a similar response. However, he does not think that the sanctioning body has given any solid reason to fret yet.
He added, “I just think that NASCAR is going in a really great direction. The car is solid, the car is producing great racing, and these new venues. Chicago’s working, they tried the Coliseum for the Clash, and now they’re going to Bowman Gray Stadium. There are talks of a San Diego street circuit race. I like what they’re thinking.”
Will NASCAR be able to balance its traditional fanbase and its new fans?
Regardless of Diffey’s encouraging words, one cannot ignore the fact that NASCAR will find it tough to balance its core fan group with its new fans. Veteran reporter Jeff Gluck revealed a shocking fact in an interview last month. He noted that nearly 80% of the audience who’d been at the Chicago Street Course race had never bought a ticket to a NASCAR race before then.
This gave him reason to support the claim that the sanctioning body is in for a chaotic journey. He said, “I think that it’s a tough balance for them. They’re trying to please everybody.” All said and done, the sport doesn’t really have an option but to try different things with the hope of striking gold soon.
2025 will feature a lot of newness on this front. The Cup Series field will travel to Mexico City for its first points-paying international race in history. This event is expected to bring huge windfall and new fans to the sport. But will it appease the traditional fan? The answer will come in the long run.
