Where did IndyCar rank compared to NASCAR in viewership last weekend? All you need to know

IndyCar was on the television screens last weekend with the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix. In addition, the NASCAR Cup Series also hosted the Wurth 400 at the Texas Motor Speedway.

When it comes to interest among the fans, both sports performed differently. NASCAR's Wurth 400 proved to be a much more engaging event in comparison to IndyCar's Barber GP.

As per Sports Business Journal reporter Adam Stern's tweet, the Wurth 400 had a whopping 2.56 million viewers last weekend, whereas America's highest class of open-wheel racing was only able to reach out to 914,000 viewers via its coverage on FOX.

One of the reasons behind IndyCar's average performance could be the underwhelming nature of the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix. Throughout the 90-lap race, the on-track action was limited in terms of overtakes or close wheel-to-wheel battles. Chip Ganassi driver Alex Palou controlled the race comfortably, starting from pole position and leading 81 of the 90 laps, while Marcus Armstrong led six and Scott McLaughlin led the remaining three.

The Cup Series' Wurth 400 saw some nail-biting action as 34-year-old Joey Logano claimed the win at the checkered flag despite Kyle Larson leading a whopping 90 laps. Surprisingly, Logano, who started from 27th position, only led seven laps and made a strong move with four laps remaining, passing Michael McDowell for the lead. The race also saw multiple cautions, including a multi-car incident on Lap 172, and a crash by Michael McDowell with three laps to go, which led to an overtime restart.

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Alex Palou's take on IndyCar's 2025 Barber GP

Alex Palou - Source: Getty

While NASCAR outperformed the open-wheel racing class massively last weekend, from a driver's point of view, it was an "amazing day" for the reigning IndyCar champion, Alex Palou.

As mentioned earlier, the 28-year-old started the race from pole position and got the better of his rivals quite comfortably. A the end of his 90-lap outing around the 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park, he amassed an impressive 54 points, further solidifying his position at the top of the drivers' standings. He is currently sitting pretty at the top with 196 points (three Grand Prix wins).

"I was a bit lonely there, but I loved it. It was an amazing day. It's amazing, We've always been really good here. I love this place. Like, every single lap here just feels amazing in an IndyCar. Yeah, it's going to be extra special from now on," Palou said after the race (Via thelivemint).

The 2025 IndyCar season is four rounds down, and Alex Palou has retained his stellar form from last year. In the 2024 campaign, he was able to amass 544 points, alongside two wins, three pole positions, five top-13 and five top-ten finishes on his way to the championship. Moreover, with his three victories this year, he has already broken his 2024 win record.

Keeping in view that Palou is currently on 196 points in comparison to Christian Lundgaard (P2) and Kyle Kirkwood's (P3) 136 and 127, he has a shot at further extending his lead in the upcoming weekend. The SONSIO Grand Prix is slated to take place at the IMS Road Course in Indianapolis.