Competition is everything in motorsports. And it’s not just between drivers. There’s a fierce rivalry between racing series themselves, each fighting for cultural influence, global attention, and loyal fan bases.
On that front, America’s stock car giant, NASCAR, has outpaced its European counterpart, Formula 1, in one key category: viewership.
NASCAR is reasserting its dominance in North America, and this week, that message came through loud and clear. Following Formula 1’s underwhelming Miami Grand Prix, NASCAR took a subtle, unmistakable jab, reminding fans where the real racing action lives.
NASCAR Shows Its Strength, Tops Formula 1 in Ratings
This week, NASCAR and Formula 1 went head-to-head in a battle for motorsports supremacy. F1’s Miami Grand Prix drew 2.1 million viewers on ABC (not including pre-race coverage), while NASCAR’s Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway pulled in 2.56 million viewers on Fox Sports 1.
Notably, F1’s viewership was down 29% from last year’s record-setting 3.1 million for the same event. For comparison, NASCAR’s Kansas race last year pulled 2.3 million viewers on Fox Sports.
Racing reporter Jeff Gluck weighed in on the moment. He wrote:
“If you don’t think beating F1 Miami in viewership one year after getting topped by that race is a big deal for NASCAR … they just put out a whole press release about their ratings triumph in U.S. motorsports viewership this weekend. NASCAR is feeling goooood today.”
Including The Clash and the first 12 races of the 2025 Cup Series, NASCAR’s viewership is up 13% on FOX and 16% on FS1 year-over-year. Meanwhile, the Xfinity Series had a strong weekend too. The May 3 race drew 1,002,000 viewers on The CW, peaking at 1,444,000 viewers in the 5 p.m. quarter hour.
It’s the first time since 2017 that each of the first 12 Xfinity Series races has surpassed 1 million viewers. The May 3 Xfinity race at Texas was also up 25% from last year’s broadcast on FOX Sports.
NASCAR’s second-tier series has now topped one million viewers in every race so far this season, a sign that the sport’s popularity is building across all levels.
Riding that momentum, NASCAR announced on May 6 that the championship race will return to Homestead-Miami Speedway. The reveal came with a lighthearted skit featuring two of the sport’s most recognizable drivers, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski.
Busch is No. 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 228 points. He has yet to register a first-place finish in 2025.
Keselowski is No. 32 in the Cup Series standings with 142 points. He has, likewise, yet to win in 2025.