5 Things NASCAR NEEDS to Talk About in the “State of the Sport” Address

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: NASCAR President Steve Phelps speaks during the 2023 Drive for Diversity Awards at Banc of California Stadium on February 02, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

On Friday, November 3rd, NASCAR Chief Operating Officer, Steve O’Donnell, will address the media in the annual “State of the Sport” address. It is an opportunity for NASCAR to publicly give their thoughts on the season, given all of the good, all of the bad, and all of the ugly. What are the topics that NASCAR needs to discuss in this address?

TV Ratings/TV Deal

TV ratings have not always been in NASCAR’s favor this year. However, NASCAR is far from the only sport to be dealing with TV ratings woes in this era of cord-cutting. The next TV deal will have to rectify that in some way, likely through streaming.

The TV deal needs to be in place for the 2025 season, and these deals are often done by now. NASCAR needs to give some sort of a timeline for when that deal will be done and what their goals are. How is NASCAR going to use the next TV deal to counteract the ratings struggles they currently are dealing with?

At-Track Attendance

NASCAR does not release attendance figures anymore, and attendance has long been a marker of different sports’ success. Some races have been obvious successes, with sellouts at places like Martinsville and Nashville. However, races like Las Vegas in the fall seemed to have only a few people in the stands.

Given how attendance seemed to increase after COVID-19, it would be great to hear how attendance is doing now. Seeing full grandstands makes the sport look better than when grandstands are full. What exactly does attendance look like for NASCAR?

The Racing Product at Short Tracks

Martinsville saw some great strides in the racing product last weekend on short tracks. However, NASCAR is going to have another short-track test at Phoenix after the season is over. What will NASCAR be testing at Phoenix, and what do they hope to accomplish?

Will NASCAR find a way to better their short-track product in different ways? What are the types of things they found encouraging, and what is the status of making big swings like increasing horsepower?

Where is the Next OEM?

The main reason NASCAR continues to give about why they will not increase horsepower is to potentially gain a new OEM. There may not be much to report on this month, but NASCAR needs to discuss where they are with talking with OEMs. Are there discussions happening, and it is possible a new OEM could come soon?

NASCAR fans are clambering for more horsepower, and if one of the main reasons why they are not getting it is potentially new OEMs, then it is tough to not see any new OEMs. Hopefully, NASCAR will have more to talk about when it comes to potential OEMs.

How Is NASCAR’s International Reach Going?

After Garage 56 debuted at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, reports started flying that NASCAR was looking to go international. A street race in Chicago showed that NASCAR’s schedule could be more diverse than ever before. NASCAR was rumored to go to Canada in 2024, but that did not end up happening.

Will NASCAR be going international in 2025? Are there actual discussions ongoing with NASCAR heading to places never before considered? It is almost time to see if it actually happens.

Will NASCAR discuss the topics that fans want to hear about? We will have to see when Steve O’Donnell takes the podium.

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DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 06: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on April 06, 2025 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Lionel Racing Reveals First Wave of 2026 NASCAR Authentics Diecast

What’s Happening?

Lionel Racing finally confirmed the first wave of 2026 NASCAR Authentics 1:64 scale diecast for Monday morning, with the line of retail-exclusive diecast featuring a new look for the new year.

  • This line will include six throwback paint schemes from NASCAR’s 2025 throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway. Though they did not release one in 2025, this move restarts an annual tradition of Lionel releasing at least one wave of cars carrying the colors of that prior season’s throwback designs.
  • Included in this wave of cars are Austin Cindric, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, William Byron, and Sammy Smith. Alongside these paint schemes’ debuts in the Authentics line is a new design for the packaging of the 2026 line of NASCAR Authentics.
  • Last season was somewhat turbulent for Lionel as, alongside issues with tariffs, the brand only released three waves of NASCAR Autentics, one wave of NASCAR Autentics Winners Circle diecast, and two waves of Haulers.
  • Lionel announcing the first wave of 2026 early on in the new year is perhaps a sign that 2026 could return this line to its regular release schedule. The post from Lionel Racing also confirmed that the brand will announce another wave by the end of the week, further hinting at a recommitment to the Authentics line.

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SPARTA, KY - JUNE 26: Chase Pistone, driver of the #9 NTS Motorsports Chevrolet, talks with his crew during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Series UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway on June 26, 2014 in Sparta, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Chase Pistone, NASCAR Trucks and Nationwide Series Driver, Passes Away

What’s Happening?

Chase Pistone, a former competitor on the short track racing circuit in addition to NASCAR’s National Series, has passed away. Pistone, now a successful Legends Car owner, was 42.

  • Chase’s brothers Nick and Tom Pistone confirmed the North Carolina natives’ passing to LegendsNation.com. The cause of Pistone’s passing is unknown. The family asked that media share the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number, which is 988.
  • Pistone, the grandson of NASCAR legend “Tiger” Tom Pistone, made his way to NASCAR after competing on short tracks in Legends cars and Late Models. He would make his jump to NASCAR via the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2005, racing for Green Light Racing at Martinsville Speedway.
  • Pistone would continue his NASCAR pursuits in 2006, racing in ARCA and the NASCAR Busch Series. Unfortunately, these two starts, at Martinsville with the Busch Series and Iowa with ARCA, would be his last for nearly a decade.
  • Pistone returned to NASCAR in 2014, racing in a combined eight NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series races. During this season, his final in NASCAR, the then 30-year-old scored his best National Series finish, ninth place in the Truck Series annual trip to Gateway.

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8 Takeaways From NASCAR At COTA

Three races in, the 2026 season is finally starting to show its hand. COTA shifted narratives, exposed weaknesses, and raised new questions about contenders, pretenders, and everything in between.

  • Has Shane van Gisbergen officially been proven mortal after getting outraced late at Circuit of the Americas?
  • Is 19-year-old Connor Zilisch already ahead of schedule after slicing through the field multiple times?
  • With three straight wins, is Tyler Reddick basically a lock for the postseason this early?
  • And how concerned should the 48 team be after a rough weekend for Alex Bowman?

From substitute drivers being forced into action to points gaps growing faster than expected, COTA delivered more than just a road course chess match. There were momentum swings, reputation hits, and at least one young driver stacking up enemies before stacking up results.

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