NASCARs 2020 champion is also its most popular driverfor the first time since 1988. Many fans, especially those who might want to disparage the sport, dont understand that just because the TV numbers are down or not at the sky-high levels they once were, doesnt mean NASCAR is facing any sort of loss of popularity. IndyCars race at St. Petersberg was also up from 1.219 million viewers last season. Mike Joy is an outstanding announcer, and it was never a big deal for a fan to mute Darrell Waltrips exponentially annoying boogity boogity boogity! at the green flag. Instead of a midway with souvenir haulers, theres now one merchandise tent area. NASCAR founded On February 21, 1948, the National Association for Stock Car Racingor NASCAR, as it will come to be widely knownis officially incorporated. Corey LaJoie gets loose, spins Brad Keselowski. Saturday afternoon, they held a round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series there and there were so few people in the stands that they should have introduced them to the drivers instead of the other way around. NASCAR was plenty defiant resisting this idea at their peakbut these days, theyre not in a position to ignore displeased fans. There was suddenly lots and lots of prize money available and other full-time competitors like Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip joined up to give chase. Get the best reports to understand your industry. Making matters worse, within four years, the driver with the second largest fan base finished with the most points in a season twice, only to lose the title to a points reset. (Photo by ISC Images & [+] Archives via Getty Images). most sites believe Iowa is in the top 5 in states for Nascar popularity. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. Business Solutions including all features. People rooted for car brands as well as drivers, and car companies believed in the whole win on Sunday, sell on Monday mantra. This is a BETA experience. Social impressions, social following, a positive buzz of our sport, which is measured by third parties, like at YouGov is up 2.5 X over the course of the last two to three years.. Updated Nov 8, 2022 at 12:58pm. Back in the 90s (and 70s and 80s), NASCAR was relevant only to one corner of the USA. Show publisher information At the other end of the table, District of Columbia and Hawaii are by far the states least interest in NASCAR. Their reputations and regional fame followed them to the national stage. ", Website (racingnews.co) & SportsBusiness Daily & Sports Media Watch, Average viewership of the NASCAR Cup Series in the United States from 2014 to 2022 (in million viewers) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/812557/average-us-tv-audience-nascar-cup-series/ (last visited March 04, 2023), Average viewership of the NASCAR Cup Series in the United States from 2014 to 2022 (in million viewers) [Graph], Website (racingnews.co), & SportsBusiness Daily, & Sports Media Watch, June 16, 2022. In 2008 Kyle Busch smoked the field for the first 26 races, winning eight of them and setting the NASCAR world on fire with his brash and unapologetic racing style. It took quite a few years of longtime fans bitching about that, but NASCAR did finally move the Labor Day Southern 500 back to Darlington. In addition, the Charlotte Motor Speedway and the fact that the majority of NASCAR teams are based out of Charlotte, or nearby, makes North Carolina the unofficial home of NASCAR for many. 9 Unflattering Facts NASCAR Does Not Want You To Know - HotCars Flat is better than down, but 2018 was also the year the once-mighty U.S.S. unsubscribe link. From their colorful beginnings to what is now a billion-dollar sporting event, NASCAR has continued to provide high octane entertainment for its millions of fans and supporters. Auto Club Results. Why was NASCAR so popular a few years ago, and has now - Quora (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images). A shot that shows the overall value sponsors receive. By anyone's standards that is an alarming fall. Viewership for the 2019 Phoenix race was 22% lower than in 2018. In fact, the current car lends itself to some pretty good racing. Weekly races at smaller locales have come off even worse. In response to its rapidly growing popularity nationwide, NASCAR moved away from the Southeast fans who brought the sport to the dance, and began holding races in places like Vegas, Chicago and Los Angeles. The 2019 Daytona 500 viewership was just 9 million. By virtue of his fathers untimely passing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. instantly found himself with a larger fan base than any three drivers in NASCAR. 1:31 For eight years, Lanette and Jim Williams of Missouri said they traveled to an average of nine NASCAR races per season. Most of the world is filled, first and foremost, with soccer fans. Photo credit: Darryl W. Moran Photography on Visual Hunt / CC BY-ND Average finishing positions from 2017-2021 are blue. The 2019 Daytona 500 viewership was just 9 million. Once upon a time, if the Cup series had a weekend off, drivers like Earnhardt Sr. and/or Earnhardt Jr. would go to Disney World and drink beer with NASCAR fans they bumped into in the lineup for A Small World. Herbst adds that small swings in the numbers show the steadiness of viewership week to week, and thats a very good thing. Not only in the business world, but in all sports as well. Here's a breakdown of all the major types of car racing Far from it. When added to metrics from an agency known as Joyce Julius & Associates, which specializes in measurement and analysis of media promotions that showed just how much TV exposure a sponsor was getting, NASCAR teams were able to justify the high cost of the sponsorships they were charging. Ranking All 23 NASCAR Cup Series Racetracks - AthlonSports.com Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. These Are The Reasons Why NASCAR Is Losing Fans, "Bootleggers"- those whoproduce anddeliver prohibited whiskey/alcohol, colorful beginnings to what is now a billion-dollar sporting event, 15 Abandoned And Forgotten NASCAR Race Tracks, 15 Rules Every NASCAR Employee Has To Follow, 10 NASCAR Drivers With The Most Wins (& How Much They Won). Much like Kyle Petty, he ultimately became more known for his good-guy personality and his lineage than for his achievements on the racetrack. No longer could a late-model driver from Syracuse or Spokane get a car and a team together and show up to try to qualify for any of NASCARs races. Up until the middle of the 21st century the measured pairs of eyeballs watching NASCAR on TV were counted, analyzed and, for the most part, cheered. . Early stock car racing and the birth of NASCAR After World War II, stock car racing became one of America's fastest-growing. The rise of social media as a tool, pastime, or source of information and entertainment has certainly affected most sports, NASCAR included. What are the biggest differences between these sports? That metric is down 16% over the last 24 months. Now, NASCAR might say, Well, 3.759 million for a race in November, even if it is half as much as four years ago, is more than 0.000 viewers for no race. And ratings are slightly better overall when you include the Fox half, which is better than another plunge, as in 2018. Gordon scored the most points overall of any driver in 2004, 2007, and 2014. | 3 March - 20:00 | Christian Jope, Roma vs Juventus: Crunch Class in Seria A this Sunday, International Soccer There were often timesand Im not exaggerating thiswhen a viewer would see maybe five laps of racing, a two-minute break, and then just two more laps of racing before another break. And then, in 1979, came flag-to-flag TV coverage of the Daytona 500 and other NASCAR Cup races. No longer will teams win titles by dominating speedways; driver skill will be more of a factor, as it should be. Though fewer fans were able to attend in person, with the improvements in internet bandwidth, and the rise of more and more cable channels, some were finding other ways to digest their favorite sports. NASCAR needs side-by-side commercials during green-flag racing and then full-screen commercials during yellow flags. Clicking on the following button will update the content below. He is likely to build a fan base fast. You couldnt entirely blame NASCAR for no longer holding events in places like North Wilkesboro or Rockingham or even Darlington, which lost a race on the schedule for several years. Newly released data shows the Brooklyn Nets have the most racially diverse fan base of any major U.S. sports team. number 94414163), granted a vendor registration number VR007603-20-001 by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, It may seem good on the surface, but theres more beneath that makes this concerning. The Williams are just one example. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images), Nascar's TV Future May Or May Not Include Streaming Its Top Tier Races, WWE SmackDown Results: Winners And Grades As Rhodes And Reigns Finally Face Off, Billionaire-Run Villarreal, Almera And Valencia Near Mixed Fortunes In La Liga, Citi Field Scores Record Revenue And Profit For New York Mets In 2022, How Fanatics Collectibles New CMO Ken Turner Plans To Expand Its Reach Into A Younger And Diverse Market, Vikings Have Best Work Environment In NFL, But Key Cuts Must Be Made, Spencer Striders Raw Stuff Is As Good As Any MLB Starting Pitcher, Jalen Carter Had No Business Playing For Georgia. Graphs are a great way to visualize data and display statistics. Website (racingnews.co), SportsBusiness Daily, Sports Media Watch. Gaming Licensing and Investigations of the Virginia Lottery to operate in the State of Virginia, and a (CO, Ratings were like Bible verses, an almighty Gospel preached to stakeholders on how much of NASCAR was reaching the masses. With incredible graphics and immersive gameplay, NASCAR 21: Ignition brings a whole new level of authenticity and atmosphere to the NASCAR Cup Series. Translation: the drivers are paying for the pleasure of racing. And stage races have also not gone over well with purists. Please email the author at nmcdonald@thestar.ca, Copyright 2023 | Powered by CityMediaInc.com, Happy Birthday, GM Canada, and thanks for the (many) ride(s), Racing Roundup: Great Grand Prix in Austin, despite actions by stewards; Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame induction video; Alonso wont drive in IndyCar in 2019 or ever. NASCAR since 1940's has seen the sport of For all the latest tips, predictions and special offers directly into your inbox once a week. I have reasons to believe that NASCAR can return to previous levels of popularitymaybe not on the verge of overtaking the NFL again, but at least back to a point where they have enough of a dedicated fanbase to be a solid performer in ratings and ticket sales. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set Chase Elliott, like his 1988 champion father Bill, is from Dawsonville, Georgiathe Southeastand he has the lineage factor as the son of a well-liked champion. The broadcasts really were over-saturated with ads enough to drive fans away. Oh Well, And Here Comes The NFL, Xavi Warned FC Barcelona Fans Will Kill Him If Team Plays Like In Real Madrid Win Every Week. There's a lot of people that are looking around and understand that the economics of our sport probably are in a better place now than they've been in a long time.. Which might explain why, despite the denials, the people who are descendants of Big Bill France, the man who started it all, are quietly shopping the company around and hoping to get out while the goings good. What is NASCAR? How it started, grew to today - NASCAR 101 USC/UCLA to the Big Ten in 24? | Page 613 | CycloneFanatic: The Formula 1 and IndyCar are on the rise while NASCAR is slowly declining on a weekly and yearly basis. Interestingly, it has been said that NASCAR has been getting younger (the drivers) and older (the fans) at the same time. Its certainly healthy in terms of eyeballs, Hebrst said. Photo credit: brandonzeman on Visual Hunt / CC BY-SA What we try to do is boil it down to more simple sound bites that are A: true and B: accurate, Hebrst said. Firstly, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is located in Charlotte. If you want to attribute the decline of NASCAR to arrogant leadership, look no further than that single act. Figures in USD $6200M for a 5-year period, so for the 2023 season this is USD $1240M for the League, $124M per team, $16.7M per match) Note that this is only the revenue from the sale of media rights to broadcasters. South Carolina, home of Darlington Raceway, follows in third place. Some argue that the retirement of its high profile drivers has had a big impact, with the new generation of drivers failing to break through into mainstream sports fame. NASCAR Most Popular Driver Landing Page Statistics for NASCAR indicate that63% are male, 20% are minorities and 47% are between the ages of 18 and 44, with the majority of this age bracket being in the older end, the number of which is also dropping yearly. It was another case of costly arrogance; as much as fans loved NASCAR, they didnt love it enough to put up with an endlessly saturated marketing campaign featuring occasional snippets of racing each week. But the initial Chase, an artificial and contrived points reset, was despised by fans. | 27 February - 04:08 | Reid Spencer. The analysis of the popular media depends upon understanding the popularity and de mand for NASCAR and to the structure and history of the sport. Related: NASCARs Daytona 500 ratings indicate a worrisome trend. Even more so than in baseball, the on-screen product is affected with the layout of a track. Rebel Penguin ApS 2023 (a subsidiary of Gaming Innovation Group Inc.) However, by the time NASCAR was peaking in the early 2000s, there already wasnt much manufacturer identity left. So that's a positive viewership increase of 2%. (I started with 2017 because it's recent and covers . how to check logs in fortigate firewall. We respect your privacy. And you hear more and more about this today. Artificiality (11%) Slower cars (5%) Ferrari's struggles (1%) Rise of alternative championships (2%) Over-regulation (11%) Lack of interest in drivers (4%) New media (4%) Business and politics (8%) Total Voters: 450 An F1 Fanatic account is required in order to vote. YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, & Instagram Statistics - SocialBlade.com YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, & Instagram Statistics - SocialBlade.com This text provides general information. That would be about it. But in a lot of respects this is not unique to Nascar. It makes a world of difference watching on TV. In terms of tier one sports properties, he said. Photo credit: sarahstierch on Visualhunt.com / CC BY Whatever the reason, the fact is that NASCAR is losing TV viewers, struggling to fill stands, and being abandoned by sponsors. When combined, it shows that NASCAR is in a pretty good place. NASCAR founded - HISTORY NASCAR Cup Feb 27, 2023 . But theyve also improved the schedule, the broadcasts, and the method of determining a champion. NASCAR 21: Ignition on Steam If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call Most valuable sport event brands worldwide 2019, Racing teams of NASCAR ranked by team value 2019, Average U.S. TV audience of NASCAR races 2019, Daytona 500 TV viewers in the U.S. 2000-2022. Along with that came an all-important metric: the Nielsen ratings. USA TODAY Sports asked about 200 fans at tracks, on the phone and on social media who have reduced their racetrack trips to explain why. The 2021 campaign includes six road course races, a dirt race at Bristol (! The season ended with two flat tires. A Former Reporters Thoughts, fly into a catch fence and injure spectators, I really got the point across with this one, that profoundly irritating cartoon gopher, baseball exploded in popularity after the opening of Camden Yards, that didnt suffer a significant ratings drop, Professional Cornhole Beyond The Parking Lot, Staying Green ex-Patriots Champion Jarvis Green, Terry Kath 1946-1978: The Heart of Chicago. Gordon World of Outlaws card was only available as part of a complete. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images), But it's an uphill fight for us and a lot of other sports properties. NASCAR racing will go on to become. There are still plenty of obscene profit breaks, but its far less aggravating when you can still see the action and leader board on part of the screen. All four partners are prominently featured in multiple platforms across the sport, including . It was blatant condescension towards what was arguably the most loyal fanbase in sports. I think that the momentum is good. Racing is still pretty danged dangerous. Even before the recent political turmoil in the sport, NASCAR was hemorrhaging fans and supporters, with viewership numbers dropping every event. Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on VisualHunt.com / CC BY-SA If that contributed to NASCARs decline, however, that is on NASCAR. Photo credit: eliduke on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-SA Yes, NASCAR actually believed an artificial points reset after two thirds of the season was the move that was going to catapult them past the NFL. Statista assumes no possesses a Vendor Minor sports betting license from the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (account By then, hardly anyone will have a standard TV, anyway, because every event will be streamed, and ratings wont matter. I hope so. In 2006, for instance, more than 19 million people tuned in to watch the Daytona 500 on TV; in 2018, only a little more than nine million watched. (Just in case you were wondering, Fox is unlikely to name a replacement for Darrell Waltrip if he is replaced, that is though we should find out more next month. Top Ten motorsport stories: Abu Dhabi, Larson, COVID 2022 Land Rover Range Rover looks gorgeous, The government of Canada is harassing its citizens, William Davis: a Liberal in Conservative clothing, Trying to create a story where there is no story, Dubas will dump Tavares to make Rielly captain, Canadian racings crown jewel, Jukasa Motor (nee Cayuga) Speedway is closed down, I have my critics but Page, McReynolds top the list, What my grandchildren think Santa would drive (if he had a car), The markets shifting to EVs and that explains Fords flip-flop, Lets use public embarrassment as a way to curb drinking and driving. They are included along with social media engagement, streaming, and the like. There are still 11 races on intermediate tracks, but its finally moving in the right direction. NASCAR Cup Series Drivers | Official Site Of NASCAR The above car is a NASCAR entry that is supposed to look like a Toyota Supra. Im not buying the its too safe bit as a cause for the decline of NASCAR. receive our occasional offers and news, you may opt-out at any time. Having followed the sport in the time frame when it began, I can offer what I believe are the real reasons for the decline of NASCAR. There are not many. Nepotism isnt dead in NASCAR. It has hundreds of thousands of passionate and fiercely loyal fans. OK, here we go. | When you think of the venues that have showcased the most memorable events in the sports history, Daytona, Darlington, and Bristol often come to mind. Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on Best Running / CC BY So if Im right, in a few years NASCAR may become Americas summer sport again. NASCAR popularity is plunging - primarily for two reasons Which Is More Popular: NASCAR Or F1? - FLOW RACERS Atlanta has had some classics, but that was partly by virtue of the venue hosting the championship race, such as Alan Kulwickis unforgettable title win in 1992. When I was younger, even though they were no longer stock cars, they still resembled their factory counterparts, sometimes even using body panel. Elliott is a great driver and a likable kid, and he doesnt take any craphe doesnt shy away from wrecking a driver like Denny Hamlin if the situation called for it. Not only is this tolerated by NASCAR but encouraged. 18. Petty, one of the last ties to the storied, and colorful history of NASCAR, announced Wednesday he was moving the bulk of his family business out of Level Cross, N.C., and to Mooresville, N.C. 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-522-4700 (NV), 1-800-522-4700 They'd pack their PT Cruiser, drive for a day or two and arrive at the. So 16% drop in terms of total TV consumption of those TVs that are actually tuned in over the last two years, NASCAR shares up 18%. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/812557/average-us-tv-audience-nascar-cup-series/, Average viewership of the NASCAR Cup Series in the United States from 2014 to 2022, Available to download in PNG, PDF, XLS format, NASCAR average TV rating in the U.S. 2019, TV rating Daytona 500 in the U.S. 2000-2022, Average TV audience of NASCAR Cup Series finale 2019, Average TV audience of NASCAR Cup Series 2022, NASCAR fans in the U.S. 2017, by ethnicity, NASCAR fans in the U.S. 2017, by ethnicity and party, NASCAR fan opinions on who sports fans are in United States in 2017, NASCAR favorability in the U.S. 2018, by political party, Top NASCAR purchases by fans in the United States in 2017, Racing teams of NASCAR ranked by revenue 2017, Revenue of NASCAR's Hendrick Motorsport team 2006-2017, Revenue of NASCAR's Team Penske racing team 2006-2017, Revenue of NASCAR's Roush Fenway Racing team 2006-2017, Revenue of NASCAR's Front Row Motorsports team 2014-2017, Most active NASCAR sponsors on Twitter 2019, Value of NASCAR's Hendrick Motorsport team 2006-2020, Value of NASCAR's Joe Gibbs Racing team 2006-2018, Value of NASCAR's Stewart-Haas Racing team 2010-2018, Average U.S. TV audience for motor sports events 2011, U.S. TV viewership of selected motor sports events 2011, TV viewership in the U.S. selected National Hockey League games 2011, Age breakdown of Nascar TV audience in the U.S. during 2013 Sprint Cup Series, Fast food consumption among TV viewers 2011, ESPY Awards - number of viewers 1996-2022, Number of viewers F1 Grand Prix broadcasts in the Netherlands 2016, by race, NASCAR TV viewers in the U.S. 2017, by ethnicity, Revenue of NASCAR's Chip Ganassi Racing team 2009-2017, Value of NASCAR's Team Penske racing team 2006-2018, Revenue of NASCAR's Stewart-Haas Racing team 2009-2017, Value of NASCAR's Richard Childress Racing team 2006-2018, Value of NASCAR's Roush Fenway Racing team 2006-2018, Watching frequency of Thursday Night Football in the U.S. 2020, by ethnicity, Top 10 primetime TV programs in the U.S. 2018, Women's professional sports watching frequency in the U.S. 2021, Alec Baldwin impersonation of Donald Trump on SNL viewership in the U.S. 2017, Poll on the most frequently watched TV channels in Hungary 2020, Average viewership of the NASCAR Cup Series in the United States from 2014 to 2022 (in million viewers), Find your information in our database containing over 20,000 reports. Commission, a sports betting vendor registration, under registration number #100400, issued by the Director Its safe to say this is not ideal for the sport and there should be some concern on why ratings continue to fall. The same source claims that TV viewership for NASCAR stood at 2.92 million in 2019. They shut down the polls and went ahead with it anyway. So no, Johnsons domination wasnt directly a factor in the decline of NASCAR but their failure to market it most definitely was. Related:15 Abandoned And Forgotten NASCAR Race Tracks. While Nielsen was undergoing its transformation other smaller agencies stepped into fill the void. Or NASCAR could pretty much keep things the way they are and hope to hold on to whoever watches through 2024, when the massive TV contract expires. Our map reveals all! The fan backlash was loud and intense. Anyone who was watching then could tell you that wasnt unusual at all. They are the only one of the Big 3 Motorsports that still have this happen. Admittedly, several of these rule changes have been beneficial to the sport, but some have unfortunately come across as marketing stunts that have turned away fans. NASCAR scraped bottom. . affiliate links and make purchases, WSN earns a commission from our partners, including ESPN and various Founded by Bill France, Sr. in Daytona Beach, Florida, the company evolved into what the race-sanctioning institution that it is today over several decades. Ill submit that this is a reason a few fans I know stopped watching the sport. NASCAR stars Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin ponder F1 surge - NBC Sports According to statistics the global TV viewership's for Formula 1 in 2019 stood at 471 million. The constant changes NASCAR does, it doesnt have the same good feeling it used to have, Lanette Williams told USA TODAY Sports. One shining example was a 2010 Dover racea playoff race, no lesswhere ESPN broke away with 11 laps to go in a very much undecided event for an ad break. So to the extent that you can be flat or even up a couple of points it says a lot just about fan interest in the sport.. [Online]. Website (racingnews.co), & SportsBusiness Daily, & Sports Media Watch. You may opt-out by. After a marked decline in the middle of the previous decade, NASCAR's television numbers have been on the rebound over the past five years. When it comes to sports, American exceptionalism rules. NASCAR Most & Least Popular States [MAP] - World Sports Network These figures paint a troubling trend that NASCAR is on a long term downtrend it has yet to recover from. sportsbooks. The six-race consecutive increase in viewership prior to Talladega is something that everyone can understand and helps reinforce just how healthy NASCAR is. With all the different metrics used to measure a sport these days however, it can be complicated. Photo credit: wjarrettc on Visual hunt / CC BY Beside the Rising Tide: Hey, Where Did Everybody Go? - Frontstretch The graph below shows drivers' average 2022 finishes at intermediate tracks in yellow. 1) America's weird taste in sports Reddit user droolingtortillas. A fairly new challenge that spectator sports now have to contend with is the rise of the various streaming services that offer varied content that is available across a variety of platforms. The cars already were mostly spec at that point, and the sport was doing just finebooming even. NBC reported Monday that its broadcast of the NASCAR Cup championship race from Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida drew an average of 3.759 million viewers, its best audience for its half of the season. And those ways that didnt always involve traditional broadcast TV. And it will be pretty hard to turn back the clock on either of those. Dover is a 1-mile track, and 11 laps does not take long. Since earning a 7.7 rating and 13. That's the first time in a decade that that has happened, Hebrst said. Why is NASCAR popular? - Quora Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation. So if you can say that it's you and the NFL in terms of stability of your audience. As streaming services provide instant entertainment whileNASCARhas scheduled andlengthy race events,thecomparison is similar toordering drive-thru (cheap and convenient) versusdining at a fine restaurant (pricier and takes longer before you can eat). 44 Types of Graphs & Charts [& How to Choose the Best One] - Visme Blog Gordon wasnt the only driver who turned in a spectacular season-long performance only to have it nullified. It didnt help that a hugely popular driver underperformed, but that shouldnt have caused this much of a free fall. Though the couple'shealth insurance has gone from $300 to $800 a month, finances are not the main reason they stopped traveling to events. It may leave behind fans stuck in the past. Weve just lost interest in NASCAR. Nielsen slowly began to develop ways to measure who was watching what, and how. Brian Herbst is the senior vice president for media and productions for NASCAR. Popular graph types include line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, scatter plots and histograms. --The experience is different. The sport no longer has Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Jimmie Johnson, so theres an opportunity for new fan favorites to emerge, formed by on-track performance rather than sentiment.