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This story is the eighth in a series about how marketers for sports teams and leagues around the world approach social media strategy.<\/em><\/p>\n Motorsports fandom in the US is getting turbocharged. And while many people may associate the boost with Formula 1 and Netflix\u2019s Drive to Survive<\/em> docuseries, F1 isn\u2019t the only motorsport that\u2019s revving its engines.<\/p>\n In the past year, Nascar has shown signs of audience growth in the US, adding about 1 million followers on Instagram, a 41% YoY increase in 2024, Torey Fox, Nascar\u2019s director of social content, told Marketing Brew. On both TikTok and YouTube, follower count is up by 14% YoY, he said.<\/p>\n Highlights are almost always guaranteed to please sports fans on social, but Fox said his team is also focused on posting educational content about Nascar, as well as other types of content designed to help get newer fans hooked and keep them coming back for more.<\/p>\n \u201cThe real work begins, in my opinion\u2026once we get them in the door,\u201d Fox said. \u201cI\u2019ve been very confident in what we do here, that not only can we keep them, we can convert them into someone who not only is going to follow us on Instagram, they\u2019re going to follow us on other platforms, they\u2019re going to tune into the race on Sunday, and then they\u2019re going to come to the racetrack, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Class is in session:<\/strong> \u201cLike many other leagues and teams,\u201d Fox said, Nascar aims for a more casual tone on social. At the same time, \u201cwe want to be the expert in our field,\u201d he said, especially considering Nascar\u2019s growing follower count, which Fox said includes \u201cnewer, younger, more diverse audiences,\u201d who may not be as well-acquainted with the ins and outs of stock-car racing.<\/p>\n To help newer fans better understand the sport, the Nascar social team explains what\u2019s happening in videos through copy and captions, posts about topics like how the playoffs work, and shares facts about drivers, Fox said.<\/p>\n Reel \u2019em in:<\/strong> Few modern social strategies are complete without TikTok, but it\u2019s actually Instagram Reels that has been driving much of Nascar\u2019s social growth, according to Fox. For about three months leading up to mid-November, 65% of the account\u2019s new Instagram followers came via Reels, he said.<\/p>\n The best-performing Reels were \u201cthe ones with the most unique visuals, or just the most out-of-the-ordinary-type moment,\u201d Fox said. As of mid-November, one post of a fuel cap coming off a gas can during a pit stop had been played 63 million times, and another demonstrating the 33 degrees of banking at the Talladega Superspeedway has been watched 10 million times, according to Nascar.<\/p>\n \u201cWe recognize that people\u2019s first exposure to Nascar, a) [is] probably going to come through a Reel, and b) [is] going to come in a way in which you can\u2019t script,\u201d Fox said. \u201cThe people I work with have been able to capitalize on these things. When they see the moment happen, they immediately jump on it.\u201d<\/p>\n Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Raceway to runway:<\/strong> Fox credits some of Nascar\u2019s social success to its work with external help, like influencers and freelancers. This year, the social team upped the number of freelancers\u2014as well as full-time staff\u2014it sends to races to help film content, he said, and the company has an influencer strategy on top of that.<\/p>\n For some freelancers and influencers, working with Nascar means attending a race for the first time, and that point of view (and creators\u2019 audiences) has proven valuable, Fox said. Nascar remains open to partnering with all kinds of creators, from people focused on the mechanics of the cars to others who are more interested in the fashion trends surrounding the sport.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve learned\u2026just how important it is for them to get Nascar in their feeds,\u201d Fox said. \u201cIt\u2019s about getting new followers, expanding our audience, and growing our accounts. They\u2019re the ones that are going to be able to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Victory lap:<\/strong> Fox attributes some of Nascar\u2019s social growth to the on-track product, too. Six races in 2024 were won via a last-lap pass, the most ever in a single season, and three of the eight closest finishes in Cup history happened in 2024, he said.<\/p>\n Between those exciting moments, follower growth keeps climbing: It was up 7% from 2021 to 2022, 8% from 2022 to 2023, and 12% this year, according to Fox. Hopefully, he said, that growth doesn\u2019t slow down any time soon.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s just an energy, and there\u2019s a momentum, and a vibe,\u201d Fox said. \u201cIt\u2019s all coming together here,\u201d he said, later adding that \u201cwe\u2019re as motivated and as fired up as we\u2019ve ever been going into 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n 12\/6\/24 Update: This story has been updated to clarify a stat.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nGet marketing news you’ll actually want to read<\/h5>\n