Motorsports
NASCAR On Prime Losing Viewers At Alarming Rate, But It’s Part Of A Bigger Plan
We’re about halfway through NASCAR’s first season with Amazon Prime Video, which gives us a good chance to check the data. Because there is nothing – and I mean nothing – NASCAR fans love more than to break down TV numbers. Seriously. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m still thumbing through emails from fans […]

We’re about halfway through NASCAR’s first season with Amazon Prime Video, which gives us a good chance to check the data.
Because there is nothing – and I mean nothing – NASCAR fans love more than to break down TV numbers. Seriously. I’ve never seen anything like it.
I’m still thumbing through emails from fans who were pissed-off they couldn’t find the Coke 600 last month. Y’all love to talk about ratings, and I’m nothing if not a man of the people.
Anyway, this is the first year – ever – that a NASCAR race(s) has been shown exclusively on a streaming service. Frankly, NASCAR is late to the party – somewhat.
The NFL made the leap to Prime, and now Netflix, a few years back. MLB has Apple TV on Friday nights. The NBA will be on Peacock next season for the 14 people who watch it.
Relax. It’s a joke! Not really, but whatever.
Now, here’s the good news: Fans have praised Prime’s coverage through the first three races. Having Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the call certainly doesn’t hurt. Same with Carl Edwards.
Yes, I realize some of y’all have been frustrated with Fox’s broadcast over the years. I ain’t touching that one, for obvious reasons.
The bad news? Viewership has fallen by over 1 million since the inaugural race on Memorial Day weekend.
That’s not ideal. But, it’s not all bad.
NASCAR is hoping to follow the NFL’s model
Sunday’s race at Michigan – one of the best races of the season, by the way – averaged 1.7 million viewers. That number is obviously down from last season, when the race was on cable.
That number probably won’t bother folks in the big glass building down the road from me. It shouldn’t, at least. Streaming vs. cable/network TV are two different beasts, especially in Year 1.
However, the Coke 600 averaged 2.7 million viewers. Last week’s race at Nashville dropped to 2.06. And now, we’ve dipped into the 1s.
So, should NASCAR be throwing a red flag here? It’s a good question, and one I’ve gotten from a couple of fans already. Shocking, I know.
My answer? I don’t think so. Not yet, at least. Frankly, we probably won’t have an answer to that until this time next season.
My guess is NASCAR is playing the long game here, and is willing to wait it out – and take some lumps – in the short term. They’re hoping the series follows the NFL’s model, which is pretty much all we have to go on right now.
When the NFL moved its Thursday Night Football package exclusively to Prime in 2022, there was a massive drop-off in Year 1.
And I mean MASSIVE:
Forty-one percent! That’s nearly half the audience, just … gone. Poof. Probably somewhere watching King of Queens reruns on TV Land while poor Al and Kirk call a miserable game.
And that’s sort of what we see taking place right now with NASCAR, which was riding somewhat of a ratings-high when the series shifted from Fox and FS1, to Amazon, last month.
Actually, it’s almost exactly what we’re seeing.
NASCAR on FOX (mostly FS1) averaged 3.1 million viewers this spring. That number is down slightly from last season, but given the fact that only five of the 15 races were on Fox, it’s actually an impressive number.
Obviously, that number has been slashed in half just three races into Prime’s coverage. Not great. But when you look at what the NFL did in Years 2 and 3 on Prime, I’d say it’s a solid road-map for NASCAR.
The league averaged just under 10 million in Year 1, but that number jumped to 11.8 in Year 2 and 13.2 last season. Sure, the games have gotten better – which isn’t saying much given how bad they were – but it’s also a sign that fans finally gave in and made the leap.
And that’s what NASCAR is banking on here. Well, that and the Gen-Zers coming aboard, too. While viewership has declined overall, don’t forget, the 18-34 demo has more than held its own compared to network and cable TV.
You see? Massive growth in every demo … except the folks in the 55-and-older communities.
Execs like that. Promoters like that. Streamers like that. It may annoy me and you, because I believe old folks built NASCAR, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see the vision. Because I get it. I may not agree with it, but I get it.
So … no red flag just yet.
Maybe just a few caution laps while they wait out the storm.
Motorsports
Lando Norris wins thrilling British Grand Prix
Associated Press | Associated Press Silverstone, England – Lando Norris survived an incident-packed race in the rain to win Formula 1’s British Grand Prix on Sunday and cut the gap to his teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri. Norris won his home race for the first time after Piastri had to serve a 10-second penalty […]

Silverstone, England – Lando Norris survived an incident-packed race in the rain to win Formula 1’s British Grand Prix on Sunday and cut the gap to his teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri.
Norris won his home race for the first time after Piastri had to serve a 10-second penalty for sharp braking behind the safety car while in the lead.
“This is a dream, winning at home. It’s beautiful,” Norris told the team over the radio. “Thanks for the memory. I’ll remember this more than anything.”
He climbed out of the car and celebrated with both arms raised to take in the moment, before hugs with his team and his mother. On the podium, Norris closed his eyes with a smile as the British anthem played.
Piastri was unhappy with his penalty, signaling he believed it was a legal move. “I’m not going to say too much to make myself in trouble,” he added.
Piastri had been leading the pack before a restart from safety car conditions and slowed to back up the cars behind, but did it sharply enough that Max Verstappen behind had to swerve to avoid him.
Once it became clear Piastri would have to serve the penalty at his next pit stop, Norris made sure the Australian couldn’t build a lead to cancel it out. Norris just needed to stay with his teammate and hovered two seconds behind, waiting to inherit the lead.
Piastri now leads Norris by eight points overall, cut from 15.
In a race with plenty of crashes and spins, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg was third from 19th on the grid for his first podium finish in his 239th race of an F1 career that began in 2010. His team hadn’t finished in the top three since 2012.
Verstappen started on pole but ended up fifth after spinning from second behind Piastri at a safety-car restart, briefly dropping to 10th.
Smart strategy could win big, like it did for Hulkenberg, or risk everything. George Russell asked the team for slick tires on a slippery track and span off through the gravel a lap later, finishing 10th.
It was a rough day for the rookies as Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar crashed into the wall after hitting the back of Kimi Antonelli, saying he couldn’t see the Mercedes driver in the rain.
Antonelli later retired and fellow rookies Gabriel Bortoleto, Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto all failed to finish too. Oliver Bearman made it to the end for Haas in 11th but crashed into teammate Esteban Ocon along the way.
Motorsports
Corey Heim takes the blame after failing to qualify for NASCAR Chicago Street Race
During NASCAR Cup Series qualifying on the streets of Chicago, Corey Heim failed to qualify for the race in the No. 67 car. The fourth 23XI Racing entry is the only DNQ in this race. Katherine Legge knocked him out with her time in qualifying. Corey Heim drives full-time for Tricon Garage in the Craftsman […]

During NASCAR Cup Series qualifying on the streets of Chicago, Corey Heim failed to qualify for the race in the No. 67 car. The fourth 23XI Racing entry is the only DNQ in this race. Katherine Legge knocked him out with her time in qualifying.
Corey Heim drives full-time for Tricon Garage in the Craftsman Truck Series. No truck race this weekend, but 23XI wanted to put him in the 67 for this race. He could be moving up to the Cup Series sooner rather than later with how dominant he is in the Truck Series.
After his DNQ, Heim took to social media to explain the situation. The young driver took the blame for not having the speed to make the race.
“Made a mistake on my first lap and bent the toe link. Tried to get everything I could out of it after that but clearly wasn’t enough,” Heim posted. “That’s completely my fault and still trying to process all of it. Thank you [23XI Racing] for a car plenty capable enough to make the race.”
These Next Gen cars are tough. They can take pretty big hits and keep moving. But those toe links are not so tough. When you damage one, it throws off everything. Corey Heim bent his and from that point, the speed he needed wasn’t there.
23XI Racing had mixed results. Tyler Reddick was P4 in qualifying. Bubba Wallace was quickest in practice, but wrecked in qualifying for P37. Riley Herbst found a happy middle in P21.
Corey Heim is still getting the hang of the Cup car. He has never raced at this track, either. I’m sure he has had a lot of simulator time on the Chicago Street Race course. But things didn’t work out in his favor today.
Corey Heim fails to qualify for Chicago Street Race
After his absolutely dominant win in the Lime Rock Park Truck Series race, I thought Corey Heim was likely to make the Chicago Street Race field. A bent toe link is just something you can’t really overcome on any track.
23XI definitely wishes Heim was in this race. They see him as a future Cup Series driver and a potential star. A lot of people have their eyes on Heim as a future driver on Sunday. If 23XI doesn’t pick him up soon, maybe someone else does?
For Katherine Legge, this is a great result. To qualify that Live Fast No. 78 car into this race is nothing short of impressive. What is Corey Heim’s misfortune is her opportunity. She made the most of it, too.
Motorsports
F1 British GP: Norris wins home race; Hulkenberg scores record first podium | Motorsports News
Lando Norris becomes 13th British driver to win home Grand Prix while Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg makes his first podium after a record 239 races. Lando Norris won his home British Grand Prix for the first time in a McLaren one-two with Formula One leader Oscar Piastri on a wet and chaotic race day littered with […]

Lando Norris becomes 13th British driver to win home Grand Prix while Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg makes his first podium after a record 239 races.
Lando Norris won his home British Grand Prix for the first time in a McLaren one-two with Formula One leader Oscar Piastri on a wet and chaotic race day littered with safety cars, crashes and incident.
“This is a dream, winning at home. It’s beautiful,” Norris told the team over the radio. “Thanks for the memory. I’ll remember this more than anything.”
Nico Hulkenberg took an astonishing third place for Sauber, the German veteran making up 16 places to shed his unwanted record of the most starts without a podium in Formula One history – Sunday being his first in 239 starts in an F1 career that began in 2010.
“I don’t think I can comprehend what we’ve just done,” said the stunned German before wild pitlane celebrations with his teammates.
“It feels good. It’s been a long time coming, hasn’t it? But I always knew we had it in us, I have it in me, somewhere.”
Piastri was handed a 10-second penalty for a safety car infringement that ultimately cost him the win and allowed Norris to slash the Australian’s advantage to eight points at the midpoint of the season.
Piastri was unhappy with his penalty, signalling he believed it was a legal move.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished fourth with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fifth after starting on pole position.
Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine, Lance Stroll seventh for Aston Martin and Alex Albon eighth for Williams.
Fernando Alonso gave Aston Martin a double points finish in ninth at their home race and George Russell bagged the final point for Mercedes.
Hulkenberg’s podium for Sauber was the first for the Swiss-based team since 2012.
Norris’s victory at Silverstone was his eighth career GP win.
The Belgian Grand Prix is the next race on the F1 calendar on July 27.

Motorsports
Third NASCAR Chicago Street Race brings stock car fans out to Grant Park
Third NASCAR Chicago Street Race brings stock car fans out to Grant Park – CBS Chicago Watch CBS News Engines were revving all day long in the Loop on Saturday, as the NASCAR Chicago Street Race returned to Grant Park for the third year in a row. Drivers hit the street course for the Loop […]

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Motorsports
Where to watch NASCAR Cup Series Chicago Street Race streaming for free today; Race grid, odds
The NASCAR Cup Series comes to the city streets of Chicago, Illinois, with the Grant Park 165, a unique street racing event in its third year and held on Fourth of July weekend. The green flag waves at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET (12 p.m. MT) on Sunday, July 6, with the broadcast available on […]

The NASCAR Cup Series comes to the city streets of Chicago, Illinois, with the Grant Park 165, a unique street racing event in its third year and held on Fourth of July weekend. The green flag waves at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET (12 p.m. MT) on Sunday, July 6, with the broadcast available on TNT and streaming live on demand.
WATCH NOW: Nascar Cup Series at Chicago’s Grant Park is available streaming for FREE tonight on DIRECTV (free trial), and on Sling (Orange or Blue plans, most affordable options)
What TV channel is the 2025 NASCAR Grant Park 165 on? What is the start time?
When: 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET (12 p.m. MT) on Sunday, July 6.
Where: Chicago Street Track | Chicago, IL
TV channel: TNT
How to watch streaming live: You can watch this game live for FREE by signing up for DIRECTV (free trial), or with Sling (Sling Blue or Orange, best streaming prices). If you already have cable, you can watch this game live on Watch TNT with your cable or satellite provider login information.
NASCAR Chicago Street Race latest betting odds
- Shane Van Gisbergen +150
- Tyler Reddick +750
- Michael McDowell +850
- Christopher Bell +1000
- Ty Gibbs +1100
- Kyle Larson +1500
- Chase Elliott +2000
- Chris Buescher +2000
- William Byron +2000
- Chase Briscoe +2200
- Alex Bowman +2500
- AJ Allmendinger +2500
- Kyle Busch +3000
- Carson Hocevar +3000
- Ross Chastain +5000
- Daniel Suarez +5000
- Joey Logano +6500
- Will Brown +7000
- Ryan Blaney +7000
- Ryan Preece +8000
- Austin Cindric +10000
- Todd Gilliland +13000
- Brad Keselowski +15000
- Denny Hamlin +15000
- Bubba Wallace +20000
- Austin Dillon +25000
- Zane Smith +25000
- John Hunter Nemechek +25000
- Justin Haley +30000
- Noah Gragson +35000
- Erik Jones +35000
- Josh Berry +35000
- Josh Bilicki +50000
- Riley Herbst +50000
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +50000
- Katherine Legge +50000
- Cody Ware +50000
- Austin Hill +50000
- Ty Dillon +50000
- Cole Custer +50000
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Motorsports
Katherine Legge makes NASCAR Cup race over 23XI in Chicago upset
Entering the Chicago race weekend, five open entries were entered for the final four spots on the grid. While Shane van Gisbergen earned an impressive pole position, it was a David vs. Goliath battle for the last spot in the field with the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet up against the No. 67 23XI […]

Entering the Chicago race weekend, five open entries were entered for the final four spots on the grid. While Shane van Gisbergen earned an impressive pole position, it was a David vs. Goliath battle for the last spot in the field with the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet up against the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota of Corey Heim.
Reigning Supercars champ Will Brown put Kaulig Racing in the show by placing 19th, the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Austin Hill was 30th, and Josh Bilicki made it in with a 31st-place run in the Garage 66 Ford.
But no one expected Corey Heim, who is currently dominating the NASCAR Truck Series, to be in danger of missing the show. During his first run, the 23XI driver hit the wall and bent a toe-link, putting him in real danger. Even with a wounded car, he bettered his lap by four tenths, but it still wasn’t fast enough.

Corey Heim, Toyota
Photo by: Logan Riely / Getty Images
Legge, who made her Cup debut earlier this year at Phoenix, had her own trouble after crashing into the tire barriers during practice. She even touched the wall in qualifying as well, but unlike Heim, she escaped without any significant damage.
In the end, she bested Heim by just over a tenth, locking the single-car team into the show and ensuring 23XI’s fourth entry with Heim would be sent home.
“I was thinking, way to go showing all my minor indiscretions there,” she told TNT Sports as they replayed her wild day on track. “I tried my best to mess that qualifying up, honestly (laughs). It was a lot of pressure to come in with only 20 minutes of practice on a street course where there is no room for error (and) try to put it in the show. I actually feel pretty good about it now.
“We would have been a lot faster had I not kept nicking the walls. I’ve given my crew a lot of work to do. Sorry guys! But I just had to keep pushing and put it in the show, which we did so I’m very proud of them. I’m very much looking forward to tomorrow and a little bit less stress.”
More stressful than Indy

Katherine Legge, Chevrolet
Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Legge has qualified for four Indy 500s in the past, but claimed qualifying for the biggest oval race in the world was less stressful than this.
“There’s a level of comfort with Indy,” explained Legge. “I know where I’m going and what I’m doing and here, it’s very much drinking from a fire hose, trying to find my feet and get better. And the only way to get better is with laps and we don’t have any practice … it’s this vicious circle. But I really appreciate everybody’s support. it means the world to me. i can’t thank everybody enough. It’s been a hell of a year.”
Legge will start 33rd in the 40-car field for her third Cup start of the year. There are five different countries represented in the field, including Legge, who was born in Surrey, England.
Heim reacted to his DNQ on social media, saying he “made a mistake on my first lap and bent the toe link. Tried to get everything I could out of it after that but clearly wasn’t enough. That’s completely my fault and still trying to process all of it. Thank you 23XI Racing for a car plenty capable enough to make the race.”
Photos from Chicago – Practice & Qualifying
In this article
Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
Katherine Legge
Corey Heim
Live Fast Motorsports
23XI Racing
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