Talking positively about NASCAR in the Formula One world is more controversial than being a Pastor Maldonado fan. I mean, someone has no doubt already ignored this post and commented that NASCAR is for stupid Americans that can only turn left.
Yes, NASCAR get some stuff wrong: too many oval races, the races are too long and they highlight when drivers fight with each other. But while there’s a lot of stuff wrong with NASCAR there’s also a lot that the sport gets so, so right.
Fan Appreciation Day
Formula One doesn’t really go out of its way to do anything special for the fans but NASCAR on the other hand have a whole day dedicated to the people that really make the sport happen.
This January saw the second annual ‘NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day,’ where fans got to visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame for free and even better, meet their heroes during autograph sessions.
Fantasy League
Nothing brings fans together like a fantasy league and NASCAR have their own official one. Even better is the fact it’s free to play and there’s weekly prizes to be won for the fans whose team do the best.
You can join WTF1’s Fantasy GP league here.
Liveries
While the current Formula One grid looks like an advert for 50 Shades of Grey, the 30+ NASCAR field is made up of all sorts of vibrant colours. And not to mention the large personal numbers that would help make F1 drivers more identifiable. But hey, let’s just ban mid-season helmet changes instead, eh?
RaceView
For a monthly or yearly subscription, NASCAR’s RaceView allows you to follow the races in the nerdiest way possible. RaceView gives you a shit load of stats, team radio from every driver and a virtual representation of the race so you can track your favourite driver from the entire race if you want to.
YouTube
[fve]http://youtu.be/O-XS5SBfoVE[/fve]
It’s 2015 and somehow ‘the pinnacle of motorsport’ still doesn’t have a YouTube account yet, spending their time instead taking videos of the sport off the internet and then wondering why the sport isn’t accessible.
NASCAR meanwhile has arguably the best channel from any series with highlights, interviews, classic races and even full races. Yep, all 4 hours of them!
What do you think F1 could learn from NASCAR and other racing series?