Do You Care About NASCAR?- Survey of the Day

We are just over one week away from the biggest NASCAR race of the year, which happens to also be the season opening race. The Daytona 500 is a week from Sunday at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. It could just be me, but it seems like the excitement surrounding NASCAR only grows every year. Are you a fan? 

Since the  National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was founded in the late 40's, it has continued to grow and gain new fans, well never losing the ones it already had. In fact, professional football is the only sport in the United States to hold more viewers than NASCAR. NASCAR holds 17 of the top 20 attended single-day sporting events in the world, and claims 75 million fans who purchase over $3 billion in annual licensed product sales. Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other motor sport, although this has been in decline since the early 2000s. That decline however, is not due to a dip in the sports popularity, but a dip in advertising dollars.

Nearly 20 million viewers are expected to watch next weekends race at Daytona, but if you cant wait, the official start to the race comes a little before next Sunday. February 23 is the Gatorade Duels at Daytona -- the twin 150-mile qualifying races. These races determine starting positions as well as the final eight spots into the race for drivers that haven't previously earned a guaranteed spot.