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NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro suffers massive drop in viewership from last season

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra05/20/25SamraSource
NASCAR North Wilkesboro
Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The shine might be off the apple for the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Adam Stern of the Sports-Business Journal is reporting a massive drop in viewership for this past Sunday’s event compared to 2024’s iteration.

“[FS1] earned 1.965 million viewers for Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, down from 2.573 million last year,” Stern posted on X. That’s a dip of over half a million fans, as many didn’t tune in to the event this time around.

This will for sure be a disappointing result for NASCAR. The racing at North Wilkesboro in year three of the track hosting the All-Star race was much improved. However, it seems like many made their minds up on the matter after the past two years of competition, where the races were considered duds by fans and media members alike.

Moreover, there was some stiff competition throughout the day of the All-Star Race. Two Game 7 showdowns took place — the Denver Nuggets fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Florida Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs. Additionally, the New York Mets and New York Yankees faced off in a highly anticipated showdown on Sunday Night Baseball.

Not to mention HBO’s wildly successful show The Last of Us had its penultimate episode of its second season on Sunday night, as well. Still, it wasn’t an encouraging number for the NASCAR Cup Series, as the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro is a showcase of the best of the best in the sport.

As for the actual race, there was no shortage of drama. Joey Logano was looking to win the NASCAR All-Star race for the second consecutive year and the third time in his career. Christopher Bell stood in his way, though, utilizing a late pass for the win to get to Victory Lane.

After getting off to a slow start this season, Logano was hoping to find his groove and win his second race in three weeks. He was frustrated with Bell after the event, slamming his move to get by the No. 20 Ford, but Logano later walked back his comments.

All told, the All-Star Race was a disappointment viewership-wise in 2025, but the racing is giving fans and media members alike some hope. Next up on the docket is the Coca-Cola 600. We’ll see if fans tune in on Memorial Day Weekend for one of NASCAR’s premier races.