# ESPN NASCAR Scraper (`parseforge/espn-nascar-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes NASCAR scoreboard results, team information, and news articles from ESPN. Returns each item as a flat row for easy analysis.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/espn-nascar-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Sports, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $7.69 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### ESPN NASCAR Scraper

**Scrape NASCAR data from ESPN scoreboards, teams, and news feeds.** Get race results, team details, and breaking news in a flat, structured format. No API key or browser needed. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

ESPN's official API requires registration and rate limits. This Actor reads ESPN's public NASCAR pages directly, pulling scoreboard results, team rosters, and news articles. Each item is returned as a flat row with consistent fields, ready for analysis or storage.

| Who uses it | What they scrape ESPN for |
|---|---|
| Sports analysts | Tracking race results and team performance over time |
| Fantasy NASCAR players | Monitoring driver and team news for lineup decisions |
| Journalists | Gathering race recaps and breaking news for articles |
| Data scientists | Building datasets for predictive models or dashboards |

### What it does

This Actor collects NASCAR data from ESPN's scoreboard, teams, and news endpoints, returning each item as a flat row.

- 🏁 **Scoreboard:** Fetch race results for a specific date or today's races.
- 🏎️ **Teams:** Get team rosters, driver details, and season stats.
- 📰 **News:** Pull the latest NASCAR headlines and article summaries.
- 📅 **Date filter:** Specify a YYYYMMDD date for scoreboard data, or leave empty for today.
- 🔢 **Max items:** Control how many results to return, from 1 to 1,000,000 (free users limited to 10).

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with ESPN data

**📊 Analyze race results.**

A sports analyst runs the Actor daily on the scoreboard endpoint to collect race results and build a historical performance database.

**🏆 Track team performance.**

A fantasy NASCAR player uses the teams endpoint to monitor driver changes and team stats before making lineup decisions.

**📰 Monitor breaking news.**

A journalist sets up the news endpoint to receive the latest NASCAR headlines and article summaries for timely reporting.

**🤖 Build predictive models.**

A data scientist collects race results and team data over a season to train a model predicting race outcomes.

### Why choose this scraper

| | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No API key** | Access ESPN NASCAR data without registration or authentication |
| **Structured output** | Each item is a flat row with consistent fields for easy processing |
| **Flexible endpoints** | Choose from scoreboard, teams, or news to get exactly what you need |
| **Scalable** | Fetch up to 1,000,000 items for paid users |

### How it compares

This Actor focuses specifically on NASCAR data from ESPN, while the competitors offer broader sports coverage or AI integration.

| Feature | ParseForge | ESPN MCP Server | ESPN Sports Scraper - Scores, Odds, Stats & Standings |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR-specific data | Yes | Not listed | Not listed |
| Scoreboard results | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Team rosters | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| News articles | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No API key required | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| AI assistant integration (MCP) | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| Multi-sport coverage | Not listed | Yes | Yes |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor by selecting an endpoint (scoreboard, teams, or news), optionally set a date for scoreboard data, and limit the number of items returned. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
 "endpoint": "scoreboard",
 "maxItems": 10
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
 "endpoint": "scoreboard",
 "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.0085 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $0.85 |
| 1,000 results | $8.50 |
| 10,000 results | $85.00 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [ESPN NASCAR Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/espn-nascar-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to ESPN through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/espn-nascar-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check the date format for the scoreboard endpoint. It must be YYYYMMDD. Also, ensure the date is not in the future or too far in the past. For teams and news, there should always be results unless ESPN changes its page structure.

**Why am I only getting 10 items?**

Free users are limited to 10 items as a preview. Upgrade to a paid plan to increase the limit up to 1,000,000 items.

**The Actor fails with an error.**

Check if ESPN's website is accessible. Sometimes ESPN changes its HTML structure, which may break the scraper. If the issue persists, contact support with the error details.

**The output is missing some fields.**

ESPN may not provide all fields for every item. For example, a news article may not have a team association. The Actor returns whatever fields are available on the page.

**Can I get data for a specific driver?**

The Actor does not support filtering by driver directly. You can retrieve all teams or scoreboard data and filter the results in your own processing.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What data can I scrape from ESPN NASCAR? | You can scrape scoreboard results, team information, and news articles. The scoreboard includes race results for a given date, teams include rosters and stats, and news includes headlines and summaries. |
| Do I need an ESPN API key? | No, this Actor scrapes public ESPN pages directly, so no API key or registration is required. |
| How do I specify a date for scoreboard data? | Use the 'dates' input field with the format YYYYMMDD. Leave it empty to get today's scoreboard. |
| What is the maximum number of items I can get? | Paid users can get up to 1,000,000 items. Free users are limited to 10 items as a preview. |
| Can I get data for a specific race or team? | The Actor currently supports three endpoints: scoreboard, teams, and news. You cannot filter by a specific race or team directly, but you can retrieve all items from an endpoint and filter the results yourself. |
| What format is the output in? | The output is a flat JSON structure, which can be exported to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify platform. |
| How often is the data updated? | The Actor fetches data live from ESPN each time it runs, so you get the most current information available. |
| Is this Actor legal to use? | You should review ESPN's terms of service and ensure your use complies with them. The Actor only accesses publicly available data. |
| Can I schedule this Actor to run automatically? | Yes, you can set up a schedule in Apify to run the Actor at regular intervals, such as daily or weekly. |
| What if I need data from other ESPN sports? | This Actor is focused on NASCAR. For other sports, consider using a more general ESPN scraper like the ESPN Sports Scraper. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ESPN, Inc. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `endpoint` (type: `string`):

ESPN sub-endpoint to fetch.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000

## `dates` (type: `string`):

Optional YYYYMMDD date for scoreboard. Leave empty for today.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "endpoint": "scoreboard",
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "endpoint": "scoreboard",
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/espn-nascar-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "endpoint": "scoreboard",
    "maxItems": 10,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/espn-nascar-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "endpoint": "scoreboard",
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/espn-nascar-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/espn-nascar-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/xXZUWHm3bEIYsWG4U/builds/Zdr2MKDanckLhdugA/openapi.json