ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Sitting in SFO international airport watching F1, it's a replay, but it's still weird to me... when did F1 become a thing here in the states?
I'm not sure F1 actually ever became a "thing" in the US. I think they have always had a small (but loyal) following. It may have picked up a little during (shorty after) the turn of the century. In the late 1990s when CHAMP and IRL split the product of both groups were watered down. and maybe some open wheel racing fans gravitated to F1. And between 2000 - 2007 when there was a F1 race at Indianapolis; however, these are just a guesses. Also, it is interesting to note that Wikipedia estimates that the TV audiences for F1 races are around 300 million per race. In contrast, the final ratings for the 2014 Super Bowl which ended up being the biggest to date had 112.2 million viewers. It was the most watched Super Bowl and the most watched program in U.S. television history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Grand_Prix
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One_racing
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-super-bowl-xlviii-676651
I've always said that the 2 biggest sports in the world are soccer and F1; and the average American can't name a player (or driver) in either sport. And yeah, I know F1 is probably not considered a sport by most people. I think it is technically considered a "Motorsport".
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