I'm generally mystified by its popularity, and this blurb from the Economist provides a nice example of what non-Americans think of the "sport."
On November 19th 80,000 enthusiasts gathered in Homestead, Florida. That made the speedway twice as populous as the city itself. Vendors did a brisk trade in beer, burgers and ugly T-shirts. A lonely “international food” stand sold slices of pizza. A car salesman tried to make a new friend. “Do you chew?” he asked. (That is, do you stuff a wad of tobacco inside your lip and then dribble quietly into an empty can?)
