Gentleman, Start, Your Engines

In many ways the sport of NASCAR isn't just a sport, its a pop culture phenomenon and a cult like following. Fans from all over the world travel to the United States to watch these races. NASCAR has such a huge impact on pop culture ever since the sport started gaining national exposure in the mid to late 1990's. Ticket sales, merchandise, food, etc are all huge parts in what makes the sport of NASCAR so successful. Many of the sports biggest stars such as Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr and more are looked as superheros to many young fans who do extraordinary things that fans only wish they can do.

Top Merchandise sales by driver

1) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 1 in 2013)

2) Jimmie Johnson (No. 2 in 2013)

3) Jeff Gordon (No. 4 in 2013)

4) Kevin Harvick (No. 9 in 2013)

5) Tony Stewart (No. 3 in 2013)

6) Kyle Busch (No. 6 in 2013)

7) Danica Patrick (No. 5 in 2013)

8) Kasey Kahne (No. 7 in 2013

9) Carl Edwards (No. 8 in 2013)

10) Austin Dillon (No. 22 in 2013)

One of the biggest and best merchandising sales in NASCAR now days is hats and t shirts. I personally have been to 5 NASCAR races since 1999 and you cannot imagine how many people are in the grandstands wearing their favorite drivers gear. On race days teams will set up their haulers outside the track full of merchandise to sale to the fans. Fans will get to the races 2-3 hours early just to shop for their favorite drivers merch. Over the past couple years Dale Earnhardt Jr has been on top in merchandise sales even though he hasn't won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship he has been NASCAR's most popular driver every year since 2003.

Lights, Camera, Action

NASCAR has become such a huge trend in pop culture that movies have been made about the sport, drivers have appeared in TV shows, music videos, and even Saturday Night live. Fans love to see hard racing, tough competitors, and aggressive driving from all the drivers. When an altercation on and off the track occurs between drivers it gets the attention of the main stream media. One big thing about NASCAR that some people who may not follow or be fans of NASCAR might like is the crashes. First off these drivers are real athletes and human beings and these crashes are dangerous. Your going 180 mph on 33 degrees of banking doing at least 5 gs and losing 5-10 lbs a race for 3 1/2-4 hours every weekend. When these so called fans see these crashes they expect to see the drivers walk away uninjured. It is an insult to me to talk to these so called fans who mock and make fun of the sport because they do not know the physical toll these drivers take on their bodies. But as for pop culture goes NASCAR is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and has such a huge impact in today's American culture .