“Better than All Star”: Fans react as Dale Earnhardt Jr. owned CARS Tour’s viewership numbers emerge

NASCAR fans drew comparisons between the CARS Tour series and the All-Star Race after viewership figures for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s co-owned series were released. Ahead of the race weekend, both the Pro Late Models and Late Models raced at North Wilkesboro Speedway, with the Late Model race making its cable TV debut.

CARS Tour co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick joined play-by-play announcer Eric Brennan in the booth for the race broadcast on FS1 on Friday night, May 16. The coverage averaged 253,000 viewers and peaked at 365,000 viewers as Landen Lewis took the victory.

The NASCAR All-Star Race broadcast on Sunday night on FS1 saw a significant drop in viewership, with 1.965 million tuning in to watch Christopher Bell take the win. That figure was down from 2.5 million in 2024, when Joey Logano dominated the event. The race also marked the conclusion of FOX's Cup Series coverage for the season.

"@CARSTour averaged 253,000 viewers for Friday night's race on @FS1, the series' first ever live event on the cable TV channel, with a peak of 365,000" Adam Stern wrote on X.

Although the CARS Tour Late Model race got off to a rough start with an early wreck, one NASCAR fan suggested it was still better than the All-Star Race, which was also packed with plenty of action.

"Better than all star" the comment read.

Another X user reckoned those were solid viewership numbers and expressed hope that more CARS Tour events would be broadcast on TV in the future.

"That's a pretty good number. FS1 would be happy to have that if they don't have any other program on TV" they wrote.

Some X users were curious to know the overall viewership, as the race was simulcast on FloRacing. Here are a few other reactions to the CARS Tour's FS1 debut:

"This is awesome news for the cars tour!" an X user commented.

"Now how many watched on Flo out of habit?" another X user pondered.

"Very little advertising. Didn’t know it was on" a comment read.

"Honestly expected a bit more but just airing there in general is a huge win for the series" a NASCAR fan opined.

The CARS Tour Series returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the season finale on October 18.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to CARS Tour FS1 viewership figures

Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed his gratitude to Fox Sports and NASCAR for giving the CARS Tour Series a platform to reach a broader TV audience. He also acknowledged his ambitious co-owner, Kevin Harvick, who serves as an analyst for Fox.

Reacting to the viewership figures for CARS Tour on FS1, the NASCAR Hall of Famer wrote on X:

"Appreciate the opportunity. A huge thanks to @NASCARONFOX @FloRacing and @NASCAR . Doesn't happen without @KevinHarvick being an ambitious series owner. Great exposure for our teams and series. Next event is May 31st on @FloRacing at @LangleySpeedway."

The CARS Tour series is co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and the Trackhouse Racing team. Wood Brothers Racing driver Josh Berry recently praised the series, while William Byron expressed hope for more CARS Tour races on TV.