NASCAR fans were ranked the best random fandom in this year’s Fandom 250, the ultimate ranking of fanbases.
Every year, the Fandom 250 seeks to rank the best fanbases in the world. Not only does this include sports franchises, movies, and television shows, but the individual actors and athletes. Some fandoms couldn’t be placed in specific categories, so our editorial panel created a catch-all so that no fan base was left out. When stacked against some of the best fandoms in the world, we found that NASCAR fans deserve to be called the best random fandom out there.
Why NASCAR?
Fandom is a bottom line affair — you’re either in or out. NASCAR fans don’t deal with half measures and that passion runs as red, white, and blue as the patriotism that is generally associated with the sport. Baseball may be America’s past time, but NASCAR is American made, and fans are never afraid to show how proud of that they are.
Each year, thousands of fans travel to Daytona for the annual start of the NASCAR season, and diehards travel the country each weekend to catch the next race in the series. It’s a callback to the days when fans of bands like The Grateful Dead would follow the band from city-to-city showing support. NASCAR fans pack stadiums and fill the infield track each week, and it’s a passion that has been handed down across generations.
As studies report that the average age of NASCAR fans is rising, there’s been a youth movement among the driver ranks. This is what it looks like when the love of the race has been passed down to a younger generation tasked with keeping the sport alive. It’s more than just a race, it’s an extension of the moments spent with parents in garages fixing up old beaters and learning about the ways of life.
That sounds like a romanticized look at America, but it fits the pride NASCAR fans feel towards the thing they love. Our editorial staff couldn’t possibly look at things like that — a passion that can’t be quantified — and not name them the best random fandom in the world.
Full Other Category:
- NASCAR
- UFC
- Lego
- Golf
- Yoga
- Crossfit
To see where these 6 random fandoms rank amongst the other fandoms on the list, check out the full Fandom 250 list.
What is the FanSided Fandom 250?
The Fandom 250 is the ultimate ranking of fandoms. From sports teams and movie franchises to Instagram celebrities and brands, if something has an avid, sometimes rabid, fanbase, FanSided wants to honor those fans and — in the spirit of healthy competition — rank ‘em.
The Fandom 250 is divided into 16 categories: NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, Soccer, NCAA, Sports Figures, Celebrities, Music, Movies, TV Shows, Comics, Gaming, Brands, Internet Famous and Other. All 250 qualifying fandoms will be ranked both within their categories and against the field, so fans can see how the object of their devotion stacks up against its peers and in the fan landscape at large.