Ryan Blaney, at age 31 and raised within a racing family, shares insights on the ongoing challenges NASCAR faces in drawing new followers from younger generations. Discussing Ryan Blaney on attracting new NASCAR fans, he points to issues such as driver relatability and the broader disconnect millennials feel with the sport compared to mainstream activities.
Why NASCAR Struggles to Connect With Younger Audiences
Blaney acknowledges that NASCAR’s unique nature often makes it harder for the masses to identify with drivers. Many other sports such as football or baseball allow fans to play the game themselves at a local field or park, creating emotional connections from childhood. In contrast, racing requires specialized equipment, access to racetracks, and significant expense, which narrows the opportunities for ordinary people to experience it firsthand.
Unlike his peers in traditional sports, Blaney notes that it’s uncommon for adults to say they have raced as kids, which limits how deeply potential fans can bond with the sport. He suggests that these barriers make it challenging for NASCAR to foster the kind of natural allegiance that other athletic pursuits enjoy.
Another barrier, according to Blaney, is the culture surrounding driver personalities. Drivers are often constrained in their public comments, careful not to jeopardize relationships with advertisers or sponsors by being too controversial or outspoken. While this caution may protect brands, it creates distance between the athletes and fans who crave authenticity and want to see the real personalities behind the wheel.
Blaney believes this cautious approach hinders the sport’s growth, and hopes that both sponsors and representatives will encourage drivers to open up more. By allowing drivers to express themselves genuinely, NASCAR stands a better chance of engaging individuals who haven’t previously followed the sport.
“How can you make the drivers more personable, how do you increase their stardom, and it starts with not only showing the product on the track, it’s also showing these people and these athletes and things like that,”
—Ryan Blaney, Driver, Team Penske
He emphasizes that humanizing the athletes and giving fans a look at life beyond the track is an essential step in making the sport more approachable.
“Watching racing is hard to do, so how do you do it in a certain way to where you just get people interested if maybe they haven’t driven before and how do you describe it in a way that they can relate to it.”
—Ryan Blaney, Driver, Team Penske
Behind-the-Scenes Content and the Rise of Documentaries
Blaney sees hope for expanding the fan base through increased transparency and behind-the-scenes content. He points to the recent Netflix docuseries, NASCAR: Full Speed, as a strong example of this effort. The show gives viewers a glimpse into the personal stories and dynamics within teams and individual drivers, effectively bridging the gap between the race and the audience.
He anticipates that such shows will not only appeal to first-time viewers but may even reignite interest among lapsed fans, creating a renewed excitement about what happens both on and off the track.
“I think that’s neat for people to see kind of that aspect of it,”
—Ryan Blaney, Driver, Team Penske
The approach seems to be working. Blaney mentions receiving feedback from new fans who discovered the sport through the Netflix series, demonstrating how powerful these more personal portrayals can be for the sport’s outreach.
“I’ve had a lot of people since that first season say, ‘Hey you know we watched the Netflix show and we didn’t really know much about racing, but we really enjoyed the people in it and this is our first race.”
—Ryan Blaney, Driver, Team Penske
Changing Expectations for NASCAR Coverage
The evolving tastes of the viewing public now demand more than just race-day broadcasts. With organizations like Team Penske adapting to these new expectations, NASCAR finds itself needing to provide behind-the-curtain access to keep fans engaged. People want to see the journey, the struggles, and the camaraderie between teams—fueling a feeling of inclusion and understanding that was previously hard to cultivate.
Blaney believes this evolution is necessary for NASCAR to maintain relevance amid a competitive entertainment landscape and to continue enticing families and young adults to the stands and screens. For NASCAR, balancing the excitement of the race with the personalities behind the wheel could be the key to lasting connection with the next generation.
