For some time now NASCAR has struggled to keep its fan base.

Attendance at most tracks is down and TV ratings have dropped.

There are many reasons for this. We use to be a generation of car guys. Detroit-made muscle cars, guys could work on their own cars and did.

For the most part, those days are gone. You can’t, and most guys don’t want to. Culture has changed.

NASCAR has lost its biggest stars. Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon Dale Earnhardt Jr. are all gone, and it’s been tough to replace them. They changed the rules for the cars. It’s no longer who can build a better mouse trap. Now everyone has the same car, and this does not sit well with many fans.

Attending races has become expensive, including tickets, travel, hotel and food. Younger audiences have more entertainment options than ever.

NASCAR adopted the playoff system, believing it would keep more drivers in contention. Some fans believe it takes away the value of season dominance and the driver could lose a championship in a poor playoff race.

I believe grassroots racing is bigger than ever, with Sprint cars and Late Models traveling series now having huge purses available on streaming services and some of the best facilities ever. Many fans believe they are more exciting than NASCAR, and can see them a couple hours away, some in your own back yard at your local track.

However, I see a bit of a comeback. Attendance has slowly improved, young guns like Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, Carson Hocevar and of course, Kyle Larson, who races NASCAR, as well as Sprint cars and Late Models, are gaining fans. NASCAR still has some of the world’s greatest drivers, and has been putting on some exciting close races.

Sprint car racing had a big event this past weekend. World of Outlaws paid $300,000 to David Gravel for winning at Huset’s Speedway High Banked Nationals in South Dakota. Brad Sweet won $100,000 for winning at Skagit Speedway in Washington. Cap Henry won the All Star 44th annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek.

Racing is alive and well, and you can see great racing regionally as well as locally.

Ken Marquette is the auto racing columnist for The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle. He publishes the eventual write-up during the racing season.