Motorsports
NASCAR TV ratings plunge on Prime
Over a million fewer viewers tuned in for last Sunday’s NASCAR race at Nashville Superspeedway than did for the previous year, after the telecast was switched from NBC to Prime, which requires a paid subscription.
The Cracker Barrel 400 drew 2.06 million viewers, down from the 3.24 million that watched last year’s Superspeedway Cup race, making it the nation’s most-watched sports event of the week.
The plunge was not unexpected; TV viewership likewise dropped by over a million for the previous race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the first one carried on Prime.
The industry tried to put a positive spin on the drastic drop-off by noting that viewership increased among the younger demographic, a statistic that appeals to sponsors.
Three races remain on Prime this season: Sunday at Michigan, followed by the inaugural Cup race in Mexico City and Pocono.
The five races launch a seven-year NASCAR contract with Prime. It is not known if the same races will be on Prime next season, or moved around.
The Superspeedway’s fan turnout remained robust. Last Sunday’s Cup race drew a capacity crowd announced at 38,000 – the fourth sellout of the track’s five Cup races – and the companion truck and Xfinity races drew average or above crowds for those series.
Mark Collie heads Hall of Fame class
Actor/singer Mark Collie headlines the list of inductees for the 2025 Fairgrounds Speedway Hall of Fame.
Collie is joined by two-time track champion Jeff Green; former champion and Alabama Gang charter member Jimmy “Smut” Means; famed car builder Wayne Day; crew chief Bubba Frances; and retired racer P.B. Crowell III.
Collie, a Robertson County native, founded and oversaw the annual Mark Collie Celebrity Race at Fairgrounds Speedway. For years it attracted entertainers ranging from Paul Newman to Loretta Lynn, generating approximately $250,000 per event for the Vanderbilt Hospital’s Diabetes Center for research and treatment.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony date and ticket information will be announced later.
Sutton back in action
Lebanon’s Dawson Sutton, coming off his second-best finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series finish (11th) in last week’s Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway, plunges back into action Saturday at Michigan Speedway.
The 11 a.m. race on Fox Sports is the 13th of the 25-race truck schedule. Sutton has shown steady improvement as he advances through his rookie season.