The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series opened the 2023 season with impressive viewership numbers on the FOX network, as coverage of eliminations from the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals delivered a total audience of 1.12 million viewers. This marked the highest viewership for raceday at the Gatornationals during the NHRA on FOX era.
In all, 1.684 million total viewers tuned into the weekend broadcasts across FOX, FS1 and FS 2, accompanying the huge crowds in attendance all weekend at legendary Gainesville Raceway, including a sellout crowd on Saturday. The total viewership for the weekend is also a record at Gainesville since the NHRA and FOX relationship began in 2016.
“We’re thrilled to cap off the incredible display of NHRA fans in attendance at Gainesville with record-setting television viewership for the event,” NHRA Vice President of Broadcasting Steve Reintjes said. “The total viewership for our weekend of shows outpaced any previous season at Gainesville in the Fox Sports era. We were encouraged to see viewership grow throughout the entire air window during Sunday’s finals, with more than 1 million viewers tuned in for the final 1.5 hours of the broadcast.”
Along with more than 1 million viewers tuning in for the final 1.5 hours of the show, the broadcast from Gainesville also peaked with an audience of more than 1.5 million viewers.
Fans that tuned in and flocked to the famed facility saw a thrilling weekend of action, including a victory from Josh Hart in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, plus race wins from Mike Salinas in Top Fuel, Matt Hagan in Funny Car, Troy Coughlin Jr. in Pro Stock and Gaige Herrera in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
The race also set the field for the upcoming Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, which takes place as part of the NHRA Arizona Nationals on March 24-26 and marks the final race at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix.
The NHRA and FOX relationship began in 2016, and NHRA and FOX Sports announced a multiyear extension of their agreement last year, including expanded coverage, the NFL adjacent event during the Countdown to the Championship, and five hours of finals coverage at the NHRA U.S. Nationals over Labor Day Weekend each year.
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