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Despite the chaotic and controversial nature of the recent EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix race at COTA, NASCAR's ratings have seen an increment for the fifth consecutive time this season.
While the 2023 season was a sign of concern among NASCAR pundits in regards to the sport's consistently declining ratings, the same has far from been the case in 2024. Right from the get-go, NASCAR on Fox Sports generated a staggering 6.0 million viewers in the Daytona 500 race.
The following races in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Bristol and now COTA have all seen increments in the races' viewership when compared to their 2023 editions. FOX: Sports PR recently revealed its impressive viewership numbers from the recent EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, Austin.
Fox Sports garnered 3.310 million viewers for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race COTA. This was up 6% from last year's ratings (3.129 million) and the fifth consecutive upswing for the Cup Series. The viewership peaked at 6:15-6:30 PM ET when upwards of 3,620,000 fans tuned in for the sixth Cup race of the season.
This comes at the same time duration where the Cup race faced competition from the 2024 NCAA Men's Tournament on Sunday.
Another impressive aspect of this spike in the ratings is the widespread criticism that NASCAR received for its recent races in COTA. This was courtesy of the staggering number of track penalties (40) that were levied on the drivers throughout the weekend.
So far, barring the Daytona 500, the Cup Series has averaged a total of 4,047,000 viewers till the COTA race. This is 10% more than the same from last season. Meanwhile, Saturday’s Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 race at COTA generated 815,000 viewers, which is an increase of 10% from the last season.
Who leads the NASCAR Cup Series standings after the COTA weekend?
Despite no wins and a single top 5-finish so far, Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Martin Truex Jr. leads the Cup Series standings after six races. The 43-year-old driver has 220 points to his name, five more than teammate Ty Gibbs, who is also winless.
Having scored 211 points without a win, defending champion Ryan Blaney finds himself in the third position. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson, both with one win each, are fourth and fifth respectively, ahead of Daytona 500 and COTA winner William Byron.
On the other hand, Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Hill leads the Xfinity Series standings. The driver is off to a stellar start to his campaign, having won the first two races of the season.
Meanwhile, Corey Heim leads the Truck Series standings after his recent victory at Circuit of the Americas. He is followed by Ty Majeski and Tyler Ankrum in the second and third positions, respectively.
