Former NASCAR star opens up on possible return aim.

Former NASCAR star opens up on possible return aim.

Good news, NASCAR fans. Starting in 2025, you’ll be able to buy tickets for races at any track owned by NASCAR or Speedway Motorsports using a single, unified platform.

Now, the not-so-good news? That platform will be Ticketmaster.

Thursday’s announcement, delivered with the expected optimism, revealed that “NASCAR has named Ticketmaster its official ticketing partner in a move that complements Ticketmaster’s longtime partnership with Speedway Motorsports and further unifies ticketing for fans of the sport.” Essentially, NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports have decided to simplify the ticket-buying process by entrusting it to Ticketmaster, starting with the 2025 season.

Kari Gritton, NASCAR’s senior vice president of consumer strategy, was full of praise for Ticketmaster, stating, “We partnered with Ticketmaster as our new ticketing solution based on their advanced capabilities, deep industry insights, and proven best ticketing practices in sports. Their expertise will be key in consolidating all NASCAR-owned race events onto one efficient and accessible platform, improving our overall operations.” If you believe the PR speak, this partnership is a win for everyone, and NASCAR fans can look forward to a smoother, more seamless ticket-buying experience.

But there’s one glaring issue that fans aren’t going to be able to ignore: that platform is Ticketmaster.

Yes, Ticketmaster, the company that has developed a reputation as one of the most disliked ticketing services around. A company so synonymous with frustration, fees, and technical issues that it’s basically the event-goer’s version of visiting the DMV. Fans who’ve ever tried to buy a concert ticket through Ticketmaster might already be feeling a pit in their stomach.

While NASCAR is touting this partnership as a ticketing revolution, what they didn’t mention is that Ticketmaster comes so much baggage they will need the proverbial elephant that will be in the room to carry it all. It all started in 2010 when Ticketmaster completed a merger with Live Nation, creating a powerhouse that has been accused of monopolizing the event ticketing industry. Before long, fans noticed that Ticketmaster had free reign to slap on all sorts of fees—convenience fees, service fees, even fees to print your own tickets at home

Then came the Taylor Swift debacle in 2022. Swift’s massive legion of fans, the Swifties, were waiting anxiously to buy tickets for her Eras Tour. But as soon as tickets went on sale, the Ticketmaster website crashed, leaving fans unable to secure their seats. The issue wasn’t just technical glitches—bots swooped in, scooping up tickets to be resold at astronomical prices. Many fans were left with nothing but frustration and a bad taste in their mouths.

The fallout was so severe that the U.S. Congress got involved. Hearings were held, and the U.S. Justice Department opened an antitrust investigation into Ticketmaster and Live Nation. And just this year, the Justice Department, along with 30 states, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against the company.