[BootsOntheSide]

Marketing, spectacle and US drivers are a large part of it, but there's more to it. Continuity is a big benefit in NASCAR. Every year they race at much the same sequence of tracks, and each driver usually has the same team, car, sponsor and # - drivers will often refer to others in interviews as 'the #24' or 'the #43', rather than by driver name.

The roster of drivers NASCAR has is a big overall benefit - not only are they primarily American, but fans can build a real identity with one. No matter who you are, someone will be from the same walk of life as you, and fans can often follow their favourites from the local championships, through trucks or Busch, and know that they'll be supporting them for years. ChampCar and IRL have both treated their junior championships as an inconvenience, and they have small grids, minimal marketing, and all to often no drives for the stars. Teams in both championships have looked to F3000 (now GP2) guys in recent years, and as mentioned recently I feel it's important that sponsored rides for MIPS/Atlantics champions, or incentives for teams at the very least, are put in place to ensure that the next generation make it.