NASCAR made the controversial decision to bring back stage breaks on road courses. Fans on social media gave their honest reactions to the news, and some were very unhappy about it.
Fans’ frustration with the move varied by fan. Some people are just not a fan of stage breaks in general. They believe that stage breaks unnecessarily manipulate the race to create more action with restarts and “manufactured entertainment”.
Some fans are upset with the timing of the move. Instead of letting this play out through the rest of the Playoffs, NASCAR decided to make a major change to how the race is run, which many people complain is inconsistent.
Some people, as small of a minority as it is, were perfectly okay with stage breaks returning to road courses. They liked the excitement that restarts, and some even discussed the Next-Gen car as a reason for bringing stage breaks back. The Next-Gen car does not race well on road courses, so they felt that bringing back stage breaks help mitigate that issue.
However, those who do not like the idea feel that stage breaks only put a band-aid on the real issue, the Next-Gen car on road courses. Regardless of the reasoning or the side people were on, this issue struck a nerve with many in the fan base.
Levi antieau wonders why NASCAR is changing the rules in the middle of the most important part of the season.
Joseph Rutkowski says that it is all down to the race car.
Christopher Marcotte is not happy about the move.
Alex Haas with an interesting reference.
ted Beddington calls this a terrible idea because of race interference/manipulation.
Going in Circles is unhappy with this change and the strategy element that it takes away.
Mattias is okay with stage breaks, just not at road courses.
Psychlops924 hates stage racing period.
Quite the carcasm from Zach Sullivan.
Jax speaks for many fans when he says “Fix the Car”.
RA very clearly lets his opinion be known.
DJJ is relieved to see stage breaks return on road courses because restarts are the best part of the Roval according to him.
Kaleb L gives a begrudging yes to stage breaks on road courses for now, but his ideal scenario is fewer road course races and no stage breaks at all.
Cody Llamas says it is down to the race car.
Richard French is one of the few who is all for bringing back stage breaks.
This undoubtedly struck a nerve with the fanbase. The Roval race will now be looked at with much closer speculation than in previous years.
As the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season gets underway, The Daily Downforce is once again tracking how fans feel about race broadcasts throughout the year, just as we did last year. This ratings tracker exists to capture fan feedback in a clear, consistent way across the entire season for each TV partner.
After each Cup Series race weekend, we will post a fan poll asking one simple question: “How would you rate this weekend’s Cup Series broadcast?” And fans can vote and comment based on their overall viewing experience. This article will be updated weekly with the most recent race’s numbers added to the tracker.
Participation is quick and open to everyone.
| Week | Network | Race | Votes | Good | Average | Bad | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FOX | Bowman Gray Clash | 368 | 16% | 43% | 42% | Check the Poll HERE |
| 2 | FOX | Daytona 500 | 989 | 42% | 46% | 12% | Check the Poll HERE |
| 3 | FOX | Atlanta | 771 | 43% | 43% | 14% | Check the Poll HERE |
| 4 | FOX | COTA | 918 | 25% | 53% | 23% | Check the Poll HERE |
Remember to follow The Daily Downforce on X to catch each weekly poll, share your thoughts, and be part of the conversation.
Two NASCAR Cup Series crew members for Ross Chastain’s No. 1 team were suspended following the race at Circuit of the Americas
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.
On February 17, Ubisoft released a trailer that confirmed that NASCAR would be included in The Crew Motorfest’s next season update. Details were limited at the time, but in a press release issued today, Ubisoft revealed the full details of the update ahead of its March 4 launch.
Ubisoft says drafting will affect car speed and help save fuel, implying that drafting will be a huge factor in the game, at least with these cars. You can check out this and much more on Ubisoft’s official post linked below
Earlier this Tuesday, the official The Crew Motorfest account clarified confusion around the NASCAR bundles. The Crew Credit (CC) bundles only include cosmetic team liveries, not additional cars. The 3 base Next Gen cars (Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Toyota Camry XSE, and Chevrolet ZL1) are part of the free Season 9 update and can be purchased separately.
Mitch Rasmussen, NASCAR’s Senior Director of Interactive, said in the press release:
We’re excited to bring our iconic brand to life in The Crew Motorfest. This collaboration represents another important step in our strategy to bring NASCAR into the digital spaces and places where next generation fans spend their time, giving players new ways to interact with the culture and communities they love.
The content arrives as part of Year 3 Season 9 and is officially licensed by NASCAR. You can watch the first trailer and learn more in the article linked below
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.
