Smaller Motorsports Series Defy Viewership Slumps with Record Attendance in 2025
NASCAR's Cup Series averaged just 1.95 million viewers through its first 20 races in 2025, marking the lowest figure at that stage in any season.
This metric underscores a broader challenge for major racing series, where shifts in broadcasting and economic pressures have contributed to declining audiences. Yet, smaller series like IMSA, SCCA, and SRO are demonstrating resilience. By leveraging technology to enhance fan experiences, these outfits are achieving notable growth in attendance and engagement.
IMSA, for instance, set all-time attendance records at three of its first four venues in 2025. This trend highlights how niche series can capitalize on targeted innovations to buck industry downturns.
"To kick off 2025, we've had three of four events reported by the promoter as all-time record attendance for IMSA at those venues." (IMSA, May 22, 2025)
Such records reflect a correlation between event-specific draws and overall series momentum, supported by data from official reports.
What Fuels Attendance Rebounds in Niche Series?
Smaller motorsports series often operate with tighter budgets, necessitating smarter adaptations to economic realities like inflation-impacted travel costs. In 2025, IMSA's early-season events illustrate this rebound, with promoters confirming unprecedented crowds at key tracks.
These gains align with broader industry patterns where grassroots and mid-tier series prioritize accessibility. SCCA, known for its club racing structure, has emphasized tech in operations, as seen in webinars discussing digital tools for event management and participant tracking.
SRO's GT World Challenge, meanwhile, reported over 130 GT3 car entries for 2025—a record high—indicating robust participation growth.
"The 2025 season promises to be the biggest yet for GT World Challenge powered by AWS, with more than 130 GT3 cars ready to go racing across America, Asia, Australia and Europe." (GT World Challenge, March 28, 2025)
This expansion correlates with SRO's integration of AWS cloud services for real-time data analytics, which enhances race operations and attracts competitors. Multiple sources confirm that such participation spikes often translate to higher on-site attendance, though exact crowd figures for SRO events in 2025 remain venue-specific.
In contrast, NASCAR's Sonoma race drew 2.19 million viewers, down 24% year-over-year, per media analyses. This decline, amid a season average of 1.95 million, points to challenges in maintaining broad appeal without similar tech-driven pivots.
How Does Digital Tech Amplify Engagement?
Digital innovations are key differentiators for smaller series, enabling them to convert online interest into physical attendance. IMSA's 2025 metrics exemplify this, with 361,000 new social media followers added in the first five months, bringing the total to 2.7 million.
This growth ties directly to expanded content strategies, including live streams and interactive features that engage younger demographics. Video views reached 220 million in early 2025, a 22% rise from 180 million in 2024.
"Digital offerings have expanded to now 2.7 million total social media followers (361,000 of which are new in 2025) · 220 million video views." (IMSA, May 22, 2025)
Engagements hit 11 million year-to-date, surpassing half of 2024's total, per official data. These figures correlate with attendance records, as enhanced online visibility—through apps and VR previews—encourages trackside participation.
SCCA has similarly adopted tech, with 2025 discussions focusing on tools like Flagtronics for safety and timing, potentially boosting event efficiency and appeal. SRO's AWS partnership introduces AI for fan personalization, linking to its record entries and implying stronger stakeholder involvement.
NASCAR's overall viewership dip to 1.95 million average, the lowest on record, contrasts sharply. Sources attribute this partly to cable shifts, but smaller series' digital focus offers a model for countering such trends without overreliance on traditional TV.
This tech-engagement link is evident in cross-source data, where series investing in digital see compounded benefits in both virtual and physical metrics.
So What?
For motorsports stakeholders—event organizers, teams, sponsors, and fans—these 2025 trends underscore the value of data-driven strategies in navigating economic headwinds and viewership slumps. By analyzing metrics like IMSA's 22% video view increase or SRO's record 130+ entries, planners can identify correlations between tech adoption and ROI, such as optimizing event layouts with AR for better fan flow or using AI analytics to forecast attendance and target demographics for 10-20% engagement uplifts.
Teams and sponsors benefit from hybrid models that blend live streaming with on-site experiences, turning passive viewers into active participants and enhancing sponsorship visibility through personalized digital campaigns. Ultimately, these insights empower smaller series like SCCA and SRO to sustain growth, making the sport more accessible and resilient; subscribe to Vantage Motorsports Event Analytics' free newsletter for deeper dives into such trends to refine your strategies and stay ahead in the evolving motorsports landscape.
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Sources
- A Detailed Dive Through IMSA’s Strong 2025 Start, IMSA, May 22, 2025, https://www.imsa.com/news/2025/05/22/a-detailed-dive-through-imsas-strong-2025-start/
- Nascar averages 2.2m viewers at Sonoma as IndyCar sees Iowa TV ratings dip, BlackBook Motorsport, July 16, 2025, https://www.blackbookmotorsport.com/news/nascar-tv-ratings-sonoma-tnt-indycar-iowa-fox-us-viewership-july-2025/
- Record entries and comprehensive coverage for GT World Challenge powered by AWS in 2025, GT World Challenge America, March 28, 2025, https://www.gt-world-challenge-america.com/news/1156/record-entries-and-comprehensive-coverage-for-gt-world-challenge-powered-by-aws-in-2025
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