NASCAR President Dismisses F1, IndyCar as Rivals
Focus Shifts to Entertainment Competition, Global Expansion
NASCAR President **Steve Phelps** believes the organization faces fiercer competition for attention from streaming services and entertainment platforms than from Formula 1 or IndyCar, despite the growing popularity of international racing series in the United States.
Entertainment Over Motorsport Competition
Phelps stated that NASCAR does not view F1 or IndyCar as direct competitors. Instead, he contends that the primary battle is for fans’ leisure time, which is increasingly contested by non-sporting entities like Netflix and other streaming services. This perspective comes amid significant growth for both F1 and IndyCar in the US market.
“For us, I actually don’t view them as competitors. Our competitors, I view as more holistically. And I think it’s really not just motorsports, actually not even just sports, it’s entertainment. And we are competing for that dollar. We are competing for your time and other people’s time because if they’re not watching NASCAR, are they watching Netflix? Are they watching movies? Are they watching CNBC? What are they doing when they’re not doing that? So it’s super competitive.”
—Steve Phelps, NASCAR President
Global Strategy and Driver Development
NASCAR is actively pursuing global expansion, aiming to increase its presence outside the United States. The organization currently operates four racing series internationally: in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Europe. The primary goal of these series is driver development, nurturing talent that can potentially ascend to NASCAR’s national series.
This strategy has seen success, with drivers like **Daniel Suarez** progressing from NASCAR Mexico Series championships to winning races in the NASCAR national series. The recent success of international drivers like **Shane van Gisbergen** in NASCAR highlights the potential benefits of this approach.
The importance of global reach was emphasized by **Phelps**, who noted: “I believe that global expansion for us is important.”
Addressing Internal Calls for Change
The sentiment from **Phelps** emerges even as some within NASCAR have called for changes to enhance the sport’s excitement and attract new audiences. Concerns have been raised about F1’s growing appeal potentially drawing fans away from NASCAR.
In 2023, Formula 1 viewership in the United States reached an average of 1.1 million viewers per race, a notable increase demonstrating its expanding footprint in the market (ESPN, 2023).