Kyle Busch Assigns Blame For NASCAR's Declining Popularity originally appeared on The Spun.
Kyle Busch has been competing in the NASCAR Cup Series for two decades, winning 63 races and two championships. With that said, fans usually listen when he has something to say about the sport.
Over the course of Busch's NASCAR career, he has noticed a sudden shift in its fandom. It's not as mainstream as it used to be in the 1990s and early 2000s. Why is that the case? The future Hall of Famer offered his thoughts this week.
Busch, 40, believes NASCAR is battling a "culture problem" at the moment. He just doesn't see as many stock car racing fans as he used to.
"That’s a tough one. I think it’s a culture problem — and I say that in regard to the world culture," Busch told Jeff Gluck of The Athletic. "In the ’80s and ’90s, you had a bunch of Hot Rod guys who were cool with souping up their 1970s, 1980s street rods. A lot of those guys are aged out. … I just think the problem we’re running into is there’s not a lot of race fans anymore. People would always bring their kids to the track, but now there are just so many other things people can do otherwise.
"Going to the lake, taking your kids to a bounce house. No offense, but we just stood outside, right? It’s 90-something degrees outside. Who wants to sit in metal bleachers under the sun for three hours? If you’re out there — God bless you. More power to you. I appreciate that. We need to do more for those people who are here and who give us their time and their money. But you’re not going to find me out there."
Last weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series drew 2.174 million viewers for its race at Iowa Speedway. That's an 18% decrease from the same race last season.
Of course, last weekend's Cup Series race doesn't tell the entire story for NASCAR. However, it reinforces Busch's theory about people having so many options at their disposal that watching NASCAR isn't a priority.
The Cup Series will resume this Sunday at Watkins Glen International. Hopefully, NASCAR's ratings receive a shot in the arm.
Kyle Busch Assigns Blame For NASCAR's Declining Popularity first appeared on The Spun on Aug 8, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
