NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell addressed a wide range of topics during his annual State of the Sport press conference Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, discussing the sport’s growth, competition, television ratings and potential changes for future seasons.
O’Donnell said NASCAR has encouraging momentum but acknowledged there is still work to be done. He outlined five areas of focus moving forward: competition, audience growth and engagement, schedule and media strategy, international expansion and at-track fan development.
Some notes:
- The Chase: O’Donnell called the return of the Chase successful, saying it placed greater emphasis on driver performance throughout the season. “The return of the Chase, I would say has been successful,” he said.
- Horsepower: NASCAR continues to discuss potential horsepower increases for 2027, including changes at intermediate tracks. However, he said no decisions have been made.
- Qualifying: NASCAR plans to make an offseason adjustment to how starting lineups are determined when qualifying is canceled. O’Donnell also said NASCAR is considering changes additional changes to qualifying at other select events.
- TV ratings: NASCAR’s struggles competing against the NFL for viewers and he said improving television ratings remains a priority. NASCAR is also examining its future schedule with NFL competition in mind.
- Future schedules: NASCAR wants to race in markets that can help grow its fan base. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Truck Series could be used to experiment with new markets and race formats before potentially bringing successful ideas to Cup.
- Midweek races: The CW has expressed interest in midweek prime-time races for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. NASCAR is discussing the possibility of standalone events.
- Championship track: It is “too soon to tell” whether Homestead-Miami Speedway will host the championship weekend for an extended period. He said rotating the championship among different venues remains a possibility.
- Next Gen car: The Next Gen car has attracted new team owners and manufacturers. He said introducing another generation of racecar would bring significant costs. NASCAR continues to evaluate improvements to the current car, including the short-track package.
- Team investment and cost cap: Interest in investing in NASCAR teams is at an all-time high. NASCAR continues to discuss a potential spending cap with teams, but O’Donnell said “nothing imminent” is planned and owners are not aligned on whether a cap should be implemented.
- Daytona testing: O’Donnell said NASCAR currently has “no plans” to conduct preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway.
A full transcript of O’Donnell’s State of the Sport press conference is posted here.