Since its formation in 1948, the NASCAR Cup Series has been the pinnacle of American motorsports. The Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600, the Southern 500, and the Brickyard 400 are all some of the most prestigious races in the world. Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Richard Petty, and Jimmie Johnson, are some of the most famous drivers to ever race in any series. NASCAR has it all – the culture, the racing, the history.
Formula One drivers, supposedly “the best in the world,” have taken on the world of NASCAR multiple times, each to no avail. Daniil Kvyat, Jaque Villeneuve, and Kimi Räikkönen have all tried to win in NASCAR, but never found success. Kvyat’s best finish in the Cup Series is 36th, Villeneuve was only able to finish 22nd, and Räikkönen has a best finish of 29th. Räikkönen and Villeneuve are both Formula One World Champions, and neither could crack the top 20 against NASCAR drivers.
Not only does Nascar have the best drivers, they also have more races to watch. From now until November 10, you can turn your TV on Saturday and Sunday night and expect to see a race, with just a 2-week break in late July and early August for the Olympics. Formula One fans rejoiced when the FIA announced 24 races in 2024. These races are spread out over a longer period, leaving fans with many weekends without racing.
While speedway racing might be what NASCAR is most well known for, NASCAR has arguably the most diverse schedule of any racing series in the world. NASCAR races on superspeedways, speedways, short tracks, road courses, and street circuits.
Through the different tracks, NASCAR drives a diverse product but also a more entertaining product for the viewer. Max Verstappen has won all but 6 of the last 28 F1 races. That means one driver has won 22 races – most of them in dominating fashion. The racing in Formula One since the 2022 season has been at best mediocre, and fans have had little to watch other than Verstappen’s Red Bull streaking to the front of the field. Formula One had 3 different winners in 2023, compared to NASCAR’s 15 unique winners in the 2023 season. F1 fans only saw a lead change every 31 laps, which equates to around 1 to 3 lead changes a race, while NASCAR had an average of 20. NASCAR also lets its drivers “drive”. Formula One is notoriously strict with its penalties, and it can hurt the on-track product. NASCAR allows its drivers to make contact and drive aggressively, which leads to more exciting racing.
NASCAR is easy to experience and watch in person. At a Formula One race, a grandstand might overlook one, maybe two corners. You may not see an on-track overtake during the entire race. At most NASCAR races, however, almost the entire track is visible from the grandstands, meaning you can watch the racing happening all over the track. It isn’t just easier to watch – Formula One ticket prices range into the thousands of dollars, and all but three races are held outside the US. The average cost to attend a NASCAR race ranges from just $30 to $120, hundreds less than Formula One races. If you aren’t watching a Formula One race in person, many events are held on the other side of the world, meaning races start early in the morning or late in the afternoon, while most NASCAR races start mid-Sunday afternoon.
NASCAR also has one of the richest histories in motorsports. From its grassroots beginnings running moonshine through the countryside and racing on dirt, NASCAR has an incredible heritage still apparent in its racing today.
At the end of the day it is pretty simple, NASCAR has better drivers, more races, a diverse schedule, better racing, cheaper tickets, a better product, and a richer history. What’s not to love?