From the memories I have gathered watching a wide variety of sports, I know that each one of them has a time where it is so popular, it looks like the sport will last forever, and the feeling where it appears no one bothers to watch and the sport will soon disappear. For example, Major League Soccer is experiencing an all time high in viewership, while the National Football League’s 2018 season opener dropped 8 percent in viewer ratings from the same time last year. With these major sports dominating people’s lives, it overshadows motor sports, which is going through a constant popularity decrease of their own.

The top three motor sport series in the world, Formula 1, IndyCar and NASCAR, have all been going through sharp viewership declines in the past 10 years. To start off, Formula 1 has lost around 41 percent of their viewers in the past decade, according to a British newspaper, the Independent. They claim that the sudden decrease is mainly due to Formula 1 moving to Pay TV channels, special channels people have to pay for, which could attract potential subscribers but instead deters most. Similarly, IndyCar’s most popular race of the year, the Indianapolis 500, has continuously dropped in ratings over the past few years according to Indianapolis’ local news station WTHR. Furthermore, NASCAR has been going through a massive rough patch after their glory days in the early 2000’s. According to an article by Forbes Magazine, NASCAR’s race ratings have been down 30 to 40 percent on average from just a few years ago. Being an avid NASCAR fan myself, I know the previous statistic all too well.

Even with the dropping of viewership, all of the motor sport organizations are doing their best to bring more interest into the field of auto racing. For example, Formula 1 is now selling a pass to get into the garage and pit area during pre-race to see the cars and team workers up close. IndyCar is constantly changing up their schedule and adding new tracks, such as Portland International Raceway, to the circuit along with making the cars safer and faster. Additionally, NASCAR majorly changed the 2018 season schedule with the addition of a new race track, and by also addition new online and mobile options to watch the race.

Over the past few years, I have tried to bring new people into motor sports, especially by taking a few people to the NASCAR races at the Kansas Speedway. The biggest issue I see as of now are the ticket prices. The tickets for NASCAR races are at times as high as $200, and Formula 1 and IndyCar prices are not that much better. These expenses, along with the absence of people in the stands on TV broadcasts makes it appear as though the sport’s popularity is fading.

To me, nothing beats going to a race. There is nothing like the sound of an unmuffled engine flying by at over 200 mph or the roar of the crowd when there is a crash. But I do realize that people do not like having to wear noise-cancelling headphones or watching cars go in circles 400 times. But, the one thing that you could do as a viewer is to just give motor sports a chance. Tune in to any race at any time during the weekend, you only have to watch a few laps. You never know, you might really enjoy it and want join the millions of people fighting to keep motor sports alive.