Ryan Blaney, a 31-year-old NASCAR driver raised in a racing family, has shared insights on why NASCAR faces difficulty in connecting with fans, especially those aged 18 to 35, a key demographic for advertisers. Blaney highlights that drivers tend to avoid controversy to protect sponsors and brands, but this restraint limits fan engagement.
According to Blaney, growing the sport requires drivers to express themselves more openly, while advertisers should allow athletes to show their true personalities. This approach could attract people outside the traditional NASCAR audience and potentially convert them into new fans.
“How can you make the drivers more personable, how do you increase their stardom, and it starts with not only showing the product on the track, it’s also showing these people and these athletes and things like that,”
Blaney told RG.org Sports.
Blaney explains that NASCAR is harder to relate to than mainstream sports like football, basketball, or baseball because it’s not a sport people commonly play or practice growing up. Racing requires significant investment in time and money, which limits personal connections many Americans can have with the sport.
“Watching racing is hard to do, so how do you do it in a certain way to where you just get people interested if maybe they haven’t driven before and how do you describe it in a way that they can relate to it.”
Hopeful Impact of the Netflix Docuseries on NASCAR’s Popularity
Blaney is optimistic that the Netflix docuseries NASCAR: Full Speed will help bridge the connection gap by presenting the sport’s human side. The series aims not only to attract new viewers but also to reignite interest from lapsed fans.
“I think that’s neat for people to see kind of that aspect of it,”
Blaney said, emphasizing the importance of showcasing the sport beyond the races themselves. He noted that all sports face the challenge of drawing in viewers who might not be familiar with or traditionally watch their events.
“I’ve had a lot of people since that first season say, ‘Hey you know we watched the Netflix show and we didn’t really know much about racing, but we really enjoyed the people in it and this is our first race.”
The Team Penske driver shared that these new fans often connect with the drivers and their teams on a personal level, which encourages them to attend races with their families. For Blaney, this personal connection is key to expanding the sport’s fan base.
He also highlighted how NASCAR has evolved, with viewers now seeking more than just race broadcasts. Fans want behind-the-scenes access and stories about the people involved, which helps them feel more engaged and part of the larger NASCAR community.
The Importance of Personal Stories in Growing NASCAR’s Audience
Blaney’s remarks underscore a broader trend in sports entertainment, where audiences expect authenticity and access to athletes beyond competition. For NASCAR, this requires balancing sponsorship interests with allowing drivers to reveal their true selves. Without this, the sport risks stagnating in fan growth.
The Netflix series represents a strategic step toward meeting these expectations by highlighting the personalities and challenges within NASCAR, thus making the sport more approachable to outsiders. Increasing driver visibility as relatable individuals may help foster a stronger emotional connection between the sport and potential fans, particularly younger adults.
Moving forward, NASCAR’s ability to engage with diverse audiences through media like docuseries and digital storytelling will likely influence its growth and commercial success. Blaney’s perspective sheds light on the cultural shifts necessary for NASCAR to expand its appeal beyond its traditional core.