Getty

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Jeremy Mayfield, driver of the #41 Allsport Toyota, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The NASCAR Cup Series found itself at the center of a new conversation after the April 12 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Former driver Jeremy Mayfield drew attention to the crowd size at the historic short track, using social media to question the sport’s standing in the South.

His comments came on the same day that Ty Gibbs earned his first career Cup win. While the race delivered a key on-track milestone, the empty seats in the stands became part of the story. Mayfield’s posts quickly spread, sparking a wide-ranging discussion among fans about attendance, scheduling, and how the sport connects with its traditional audience in the region.

Jeremy Mayfield Points to the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway Crowd

Mayfield focused on the contrast between the past and the present at Bristol Motor Speedway. He shared images from his racing days that showed packed grandstands, placing them next to recent photos with visible empty sections. He asked fans to compare the two scenes directly. “Check out what the NASCAR grandstands used to look like when I raced at Bristol.”

He also linked the race to another major sporting event. The Bristol race took place on the same Sunday as the final round of the Masters Tournament in Augusta. Mayfield used that overlap to highlight the situation. “When the biggest story is how many people are staying home to watch a golf tournament in Georgia, the sport is in a coma.”

His comments centered on attendance and timing. He pointed to the setting of the race and how it compared to past events at the same venue. The posts gained attention quickly and drew responses from across the fan base.

NASCAR Cup Series Moment Overshadowed by Empty Seats

The race itself produced a notable result in the NASCAR Cup Series. Ty Gibbs secured his first career win, marking an important step in his career. The moment came at one of the sport’s most recognized tracks, yet the crowd size remained a topic during and after the race.

Mayfield described what he saw during the event. “Ty Gibbs gets his first win in front of 100,000 empty seats. It looked like a COVID-era race out there.” His description focused on the visual impact inside the stadium.

Bristol Motor Speedway has a long record of strong attendance. The track once held a sellout streak that ran from 1982 through 2010. Night races at the venue often filled every seat, and demand for tickets was high. The difference between those years and the current scene formed the basis of Mayfield’s posts.

He continued with a broader statement about the venue’s role in the sport. “If the ‘World’s Fastest Half Mile’ can’t outdraw a Sunday at Augusta, then NASCAR has officially lost the south,” he wrote.

Mayfield ended his series of posts with a direct question to the sport. “Is it the car? Is it the drivers? Or has the ‘Colosseum’ just become a graveyard? Tell me I’m wrong.”