As viewership numbers are steadily declining for NASCAR Cup Series, it is obvious to fans that something has to change for the broadcasts to attract more viewers and reach the coveted “younger” audiences. Let’s take a look at some changes Fox needs to make (in no particular order).
Fans love to complain about the amount of commercials. Younger demographics are more likely to stream their entertainment and have less intrusive commercials. Formula 1’s broadcast is totally commercial free, thanks to Mother’s Car Care and Mercedes-Benz.
The loudest complaints about commercials came during 2023’s Daytona 500, but the numbers show it was actually less green flag laps missed than 2001.
The are some glaring differences from 2001 to 2023: the aforementioned standard of entertainment, the frequency of breaks, and as most fans remember, if there was a green flag commercial break, TV would cut in to the break to show action on track if needed.
The less than obvious differences add to the perception that commercials dominated the race. Fans pointed out several rejoins weren’t focused on the racing action. Instead, Fox chose to go from paid commercials straight to ad reads – mostly for Fox owned entertainment brands.
The quickest way to address this is lose the ad reads entirely and break into an ad when something happens on the track. A more complex solution is to reduce ad time and weave the sponsored reads into the action in a more organic way. Viewers get the sense that Mike Joy is so tired of giving all the branded air time that he just reads what he is given without care for how it fits into the action.
A next level improvement comes from the Dale Jr. Download. In his podcast, Dale Jr. talked about how NBC’s production discusses what’s happening on track prior to a break. Many drivers turned commentators talk about how as they watch the race, they can just feel something is about to happen. The energy is ratcheting up, drivers start getting more aggressive, tires are on the end of their run. Phill Allaway from the Frontstretch said similar in his analysis of the Daytona 500 broadcast.
Anyone who was watching the race likely noticed that things were getting quite rambunctious at the time. It looked like they were going to wreck at any moment. Had they waited a little bit for things to calm down just a little (perhaps a lap or so), maybe this wouldn’t have happened and we wouldn’t be having this conversation today. They could have paid off the side-by-side break elsewhere.
An experienced spectator or commentator knows this and it could prevent missing good TV if Fox had that feel.
Fans who have never been to a NASCAR race can’t understand how much they miss on the TV production. At track, you can feel the energy. Not just the horsepower from the engine. Spectators in the stands can feel when the racing action turns up a notch. They can see wrecks happening turns if not laps before the carnage. They can see passing and battles happening all over the track at any given point of the race.
Being that TV cameras can only focus on so many cars at one time, a majority of green flag battling and passing is missed. While some of this is the nature of tv – just ask hockey fans – Fox’s production struggles to show what fans would say is “the good stuff.”
Bowyer wasn’t the only one baffled. While he actually verbalized the action being cut, viewers could hear Mike Joy’s play by play call deflate following that decision.
During the 500, Mike Joy had to direct the production’s attention to Austin Dillon’s crash significantly after Dillon lost control of the number 3 car.
Joy, the veteran action caller, has announced NASCAR for decades. He knows the sport, but those listening pick up on his frustration with production and their ineptitude. It flattens the energy of the TV viewing experience. This was exemplified by the juxtaposition of Mike Joy’s Cup coverage and Adam Alexander’s Xfinity call at Fontana.
NASCAR’s prime is largely regarded as the mid-2000s. Fans enjoyed NASCAR RaceDay on Speed as a prerace appetizer Sunday mornings. RaceDay conveyed the energy of the fans in attendance, talked to drivers, covered human interest stories, and they sprinkled in a little produced fun. Contrast that with Fox and Chris Myers’ prerace coverage. The majority of race build-up is contrived, forced skits and acts.
Race fans love racing. They don’t need a cooking show with the drivers’ kids to engage with the race. Fans enjoy truck commentator Michael Waltrip. He’s insightful and energetic. Fans are tired of grid-walk Michael Waltrip. He’s goofy and out of place.
Craftsman Truck Series drivers have real pictures. Xfinity drivers have real pictures. Cup Series drivers have cartoons that aren’t even close representations of actual NASCAR drivers.
Denny Hamlin has said it several times on his podcast about how bad these illustrations are.
There’s nothing more to say. Stop it.
There are plenty more areas for improvement, but 3 of these 4 points can be summarized into 1 overarching theme – respect the sport for what it is. Nobody is coming to NASCAR because Joel McHale is doing his schtick introducing drivers. NASCAR fans will, however, turn off Joel McHale for butchering those intros. Give fans and the race the respect they all deserve. Drivers don’t have to be cartoonized. Fans want to hear a real prerace perspective, not a goofball with a mouthful of Wendy’s.
Racing action gets fans’ hearts pumping. A good broadcast gets out of the way for that to happen, only adding insight when appropriate. With Cup’s TV ratings falling so far in 2023 and feeder series increasing, NASCAR fans are clamoring for changes to Fox’s production. Will they listen?
NASCAR’s first race weekend of 2026 at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway proved that the hybrid intermediate drafting track might be NASCAR’s best. But, if you missed all that action, here’s a look at what the NASCAR community took away from the track’s first showing of the new year.
By now, it seems like everybody in the NASCAR world has heard some form of speculation that if Kyle Busch left Richard Childress Racing, he could be a candidate to go to Spire Motorsports.
While Rowdy hasn’t set any plans for 2027, this past weekend felt like an audition to fit into the fold with the team, racing alongside Spire’s top Cup Series talent, Carson Hocevar, in their two Truck Series entries at Atlanta.
Saturday, Busch added another win to his incredible Truck Series resume. Still, the real story was his teamwork with Hocevar, as the two brought home a one-two finish and celebrated like lifelong friends.
Corey Day is just two races into his first full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season with Hendrick Motorsports, but the dirt racing phenom is making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
When all was said and done, the 20-year-old scored his second-ever top five in the series Saturday. However, this wasn’t without controversy as Day found himself wrapped up in several incidents, including one that affected JR Motorsports drivers Carson Kvapil and Justin Allgaier.
While Day has run up front at both Daytona and Atlanta, fans are wondering if the young driver’s dirt racing prowess will ever fully lead to success in NASCAR, or if these run-ins are merely a part of the learning process.
Even when Kyle Larson seems to have one of the best cars on track at Atlanta, he seems to find himself down and out more often than not.
This time, the crash that took out the No. 5 at Atlanta was of his own making, as the reigning Cup Series champion, who was racing Shane van Gisbergen for stage points, ran into the No. 97, spun, and hit the inside wall hard.
This DNF, while his first at Atlanta since 2024, was Larson’s sixth in total since the track’s 2022 reconfiguration, and one that will likely be replayed over and over when the series returns this summer.
Carson Hocevar again had a stellar run at Atlanta, and looked like the car to beat as the race entered the first of two overtime attempts.
Ultimately, Hocevar would run into Christopher Bell on the first attempt and, despite a run for the win, finish fourth on the second attempt, adding yet another what-if to his 2026 season with only two races in the books.
Hocevar is going to win a race, but it seems that even when he is at the front of the pack, luck is not on his side. The Michigan native’s search for his first win will continue into COTA, all while his list of enemies continues to grow.
Everybody loves a feel-good story, right? Well, after 138 races and 15 second-place finishes, Sheldon Creed finally found victory lane in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
He may not have had the best car, but Ross Chastain’s aggression running Austin Hill nearly off the track left the door open for the former RCR driver and teammate of Hill to score his first win.
The post from EllyProductions, a reference to his video about Creed’s second-place streak, may not be a meme, but it is funny enough to look back on one of the unluckiest streaks in recent NASCAR history.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Keelan Harvick, son of former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, has signed a long-term developmental contract with Toyota.
Though signing with Toyota is far from his first move in building to an eventual NASCAR career, Harvick’s signing marks a significant moment in the 13-year-old prospect’s path to NASCAR, lending some direction to NASCAR fans’ many questions as to how he will make his way to the top of the sport.
For right now, however, the young driver will stick to late model racing, with Jenna Fryer of AP Sports reporting Harvick plans to continue to pilot his No. 62, now a Toyota, for Rackley WAR Racing and Kevin Harvick, Inc. throughout the 2026 season.
Despite his age, Harvick is considered one of a few young phenoms in stock car racing, having shown talent among seasoned veterans, including his father, NASCAR legend and FOX Sports Analyst Kevin, throughout last season racing Late Models and Super Late Models in top series like the CARS Tour and CARS Tour West.
During the 2025 season, Harvick nabbed four total wins in the CARS Tour Pro Late Model Tour, finishing fourth in points despite missing two events.
Though long-term plans are far from clear, Toyota has one of the most consistent paths for drivers to work their way from short tracks and into NASCAR’s three National Series.
Of course, there is no guarantee he will race for Toyota when/if he reaches the Cup Series, as many TRD Prospects have jumped ship when given an opportunity to move up the ladder.
However, if Harvick comes as advertised, it would be hard for the manufacturer to let him out of their ranks.
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The Cutline is officially back, and the 2026 season is already unhinged. After months away, Armany returned fresh off attending the Daytona 500, only to dive straight into one of the most chaotic Atlanta weekends we’ve seen in years. Boneheaded moves, superspeedway carnage, overtime frustration, and a shocking 2-0 start for Tyler Reddick.
Armany and NASCAR Opinion break down every major flashpoint — from Larson’s 120% driving style to Alex Bowman’s rough start, to why Atlanta might now be the best superspeedway on the schedule. Add in overtime debates, rookie mistakes, and early Cutline rankings, and suddenly the season already feels like it’s accelerating fast. If this is how 2026 starts, buckle up. COTA is next, and the intensity isn’t slowing down.
