Amid a bustling sports weekend and competing breaking news, the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 faced fierce competition. But despite this, the race won over a viewership that it hadn’t seen in four years.
The event, which took place at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, marked a return to its traditional oval race format after three years on a road course, and it seems to have resonated positively with fans of the sport.
Broadcasted on NBC and partially on USA Network due to an overrun, this year’s race captivated 3.63 million viewers with a 2.1 rating, indicating a 28% viewership and 26% ratings spike from last year’s race. Notably, this was the highest viewership since the 2020 race, which had drawn an audience of 4.34 million.
This year’s Brickyard 400 not only topped the previous year’s figures but also emerged as the weekend’s most-watched sports event, surpassing coverage like the WNBA All-Star Game and the final round of the British Open.
What makes this feat even more impressive is its competition with significant news events, including a major political announcement by the sitting U.S. President and coverage of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump the preceding weekend.
At its peak at 5:45 PM ET, the viewership soared to 4.5 million as the race neared its gripping and controversial ending. Following the victory of Kyle Larson, the coverage transitioned seamlessly to USA Network, maintaining a robust 2.34 million viewers despite the move. The Xfinity and NASCAR Truck Series races also reflected a healthy interest, with the Xfinity Series hitting its highest viewership since 2022 on USA Network.
The return to the oval track, a favorite among purists, alongside the controversial ending, proved a successful combination in reclaiming a broad audience base. But with the racing arguably rather mild, NASCAR still has work to do.
2024 Brickyard 400 Results
- Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet)
- Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing, Toyota)
- Ryan Blaney (Team Penske, Ford)
- Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)
- Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing, Toyota)
- Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports, Ford)
- Austin Cindric (Team Penske, Ford)
- Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet)
- Noah Gragson (Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford)
- Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet)
- Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet)
- Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet)
- Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet)
- Corey LaJoie (Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet)
- Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet)
- Michael McDowell (Front Row Motorsports, Ford)
- Zane Smith (Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet)
- Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing, Ford)
- Ty Dillon (Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet)
- Justin Haley (Rick Ware Racing, Ford)
- Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing, Ford)
- Chris Buescher (RFK Racing, Ford)
- Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)
- Chase Briscoe (Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford)
- Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet)
- Ryan Preece (Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford)
- Martin Truex, Jr. (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)
- Erik Jones (LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Toyota)
- John Hunter Nemechek (LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Toyota)
- Daniel Hemric (Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet)
- Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet)
- Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)
- Jimmie Johnson (LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Toyota)
- Joey Logano (Team Penske, Ford)
- Josh Berry (Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford)
- Harrison Burton (Wood Brothers Racing, Ford)
- AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet)
- William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet)
- BJ McLeod (MBM Motorsports, Ford)
Uncommon Knowledge
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