This weekend is arguably the biggest of the year in racing, with multiple flagship events on the calendar.
On Sunday, fans will be treated to Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix at 9 a.m. ET, followed by the Indianapolis 500 at 12:45 p.m. Those up for more can tune in to NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway at 6 p.m.
While NASCAR still dominates U.S. racing, a Harris Poll commissioned by Front Office Sports found that F1 has a foothold in the U.S. market.
- F1 is of interest to 34% of U.S. adults and 76% of NASCAR fans.
- Only 25% of NASCAR fans would prefer to watch an F1 race than a NASCAR race.
Many F1 executives and team principals have noted that an American driver could help draw U.S. interest in the series, and the numbers bear that out: 35% of U.S. F1 fans and 16% of all U.S. adults said they would be more interested in F1 if it had American drivers.
Huge Crowds Incoming
The Indy 500 is expecting a crowd of over 300,000 this Sunday. However, live local broadcasts are likely to be blacked out to juice ticket sales, unless the event fully sells out.
Monaco, one of F1’s most iconic races, is estimated to bring $110 million in economic activity to the city-state.
However, with stiff competition for racing sites and a street track that makes passing exceedingly difficult, there is talk of replacing Monaco on F1’s calendar.
