Chase Elliott: Fans Love Saturday Night NASCAR Races

Fan Preferences and the Debate Over Race Schedules

NASCAR champion Chase Elliott has shared insights into fan preferences regarding the timing of Cup races, highlighting a growing trend among fans who prefer Saturday night events over Sunday night races. According to Elliott, many fans have expressed that they find it challenging to attend races on Sunday nights due to work obligations on Monday mornings.

“Those comments came directly from people that I know personally that either went to the race and weren’t super thrilled about their Monday morning and probably won’t do it again or people that chose not to go because they had to go to work on Monday morning,” Elliott explained. As a driver who has been voted the Cup Series most popular driver for eight consecutive years, he understands the importance of fan engagement.

The issue surrounding Sunday night Cup races gained attention after the EchoPark Speedway’s Quaker State 400 ended shortly before 2 a.m. on Monday due to a slightly more than three-hour rain delay on Sunday night. The scheduled 260-lap race started at 7:19 p.m. and completed 120 laps before it was halted for rain. The race returned to green-flag conditions at 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday and eventually finished in overtime at 1:45 a.m. ET.

“While I totally get that TV runs the show in a lot of ways, there are still a lot of people that like coming to the races and also probably would like a day at home to recover and kind of get their affairs in order to go back to work on Monday,” Elliott said at North Wilkesboro Speedway during preparations for Sunday’s Window World 450. “I think people travel from lots of different areas for our races. The further they travel, the harder that is.”

Elliott emphasized the unique opportunity that NASCAR has with its broadcast partners to reach audiences across the country. He believes that Saturday night races could be beneficial for both fans at home and those attending the events.

“I think we have a unique opportunity with the networks that we’re on to take advantage of the ability to watch this across the country on the good broadcast partners that we have. I think a Saturday night race is super healthy for people at home watching and also, more importantly, the people that are here an opportunity for them to get home on Sunday and reset and go back to work on Monday.”

Historical Context and Industry Concerns

In the 1980s, the only Saturday night Cup race was the August Bristol event. However, after Charlotte Motor Speedway demonstrated in 1992 that a speedway could be lit, numerous tracks erected lights, including the 2.5-mile Daytona track. This shift led to concerns from weekly short-track promoters, who feared that moving Cup races to Saturday night would adversely affect their business, potentially forcing them to close their facilities.

“I think there’s room for middle ground,” Elliott said, acknowledging the need to balance the interests of different stakeholders in the racing community.

Personal Perspective and Benefits of Saturday Night Racing

The 30-year-old driver noted that Saturday night races were a “big deal” to him when he was growing up in Georgia. “I was fired up to have a Saturday night race, thought it was great,” Elliott continued. “The only downside was I didn’t have anything to watch on Sunday. You were bummed about that when Sunday afternoon rolled around, the race wasn’t on, but the lead-in and the excitement, energy for a Saturday night show I thought was pretty darn elite. So, I would love to have more.”

Elliott also highlighted the appeal of Saturday night races during the summer months. “No need to be racing during the day,” he commented. “I think it (Saturday night racing) makes a lot of sense.”