NASCAR hosted a lackluster yet emotional race weekend at Bristol. Kyle Larson walked away a double-winner but fell short of another weekend sweep. But there were plenty of losers this weekend as well; here are our biggest losers from the 2025 Spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
William Sawalich was a key part of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie class. Despite his lack of Truck Series experience, he won 13 ARCA Races in 24 starts prior to 2025. However, fans are starting to notice that Sawalich may not be the top prospect most expected him to be.
It’s not that the 18-year-old is slow; he has the 11th-best average starting spot among full-time drivers (12.8) but the 24th-worst average finish (24.1). This poor performance was flying slightly under the radar until this weekend when Sawalich ran into the back of a slowing Connor Zilisch.
So, are these growing pains? Will he get better with time? We really don’t know. But if Sawalich has any motivation, it’s the fact that he, in a Joe Gibbs Racing car, is a mere four points ahead of Matt Dibenedetto in his Viking Motorsports entry in the standings.
Trackhouse racing had perhaps the worst start to a race weekend in its short yet storied history. The Trackhouse entries qualified for Bristol like this:
Chastain would have the team’s only highlight, turning this bad start into a top-ten finish. SVG and Suarez, however, would both have notable yet not-so-glamorous moments, such as Suarez’s crew members almost being hit with a tire flying down pit road and SVG’s crash with Cody Ware.
Hopes were high for this Trackhouse lineup. But for a team that is supposed to be a top-tier Chevrolet entry, having two cars start outside the top 20 and finish outside the top 30 is a disappointment. To wrap up their season so far, SVG is off to a miserable start, and Suarez has to be feeling the pressure of Connor Zilisch, right?
Well, FOX Sports, you finally did it. Your NASCAR coverage is at the point where Eric Estepp sort of said a swear word on X.
To Eric’s point, and in an opinionated manner, you can do this at some track, cut to commercial during stops, that is; however, at Bristol, one of the oddest pit setups in NASCAR, you can’t do that. This is one issue fans often complain about that FOX can get away with now and then.
However, Mike Joy’s call to finish one of the most boring races in recent memory only compounded this issue. Some fans online are complaining that they didn’t even know the race ended, so there’s that.
Okay, we know that the car may not be the only thing at work here. The track, the surface, the weather, and the tire all played into yesterday’s race.
However, this has been the worst three-week stretch for the NASCAR Next Gen car that fans can remember in its short history. In particular, this race was meme’d enough to write a small book.
Whether you blame the car or not, you have to admit something has to change. Kyle Larson is on a generational run in the sport, and fans should have no reason to discount any of his wins, something that feels like a weekly occurrence in the online community.
Now, of course, we aren’t calling fans losers, but we do feel as if we all walked away from this weekend as losers. Bristol used to mean something (just take in the feeling at the track during 2002’s pre-race ceremonies.) It held the same spot on the schedule that Talladega, Daytona, and Charlotte had—something you waited for, cleared your calendar, and watched Friday through Sunday.
Now, it feels like NASCAR shows up, competes, and goes home. The races at this special venue feel more like a weekend swamped with a rain delay, with NASCAR and the drivers just wanting to get the race in and move to next weekend.
Something has to change; that track deserves the best, and those who spend their hard-earned dollar to go to that track deserve more. Perhaps one day, fans will again pack BMS to the brim twice a year, but that feeling is farther away now than ever.
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Ahead of the Daytona 500, a troubling incident rattled fans and officials when a Volusia County man, Adrian Morales, was arrested for making threats to kill or harm a former colleague. The 45-year-old sent a video on Feb. 11 to a man he knew, saying, “This is what’s in store,” while cursing and firing a gun.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office Domestic Security Unit tracked Morales to the Icon One Daytona apartments across from Daytona International Speedway and took him into custody without incident the day before the race.
Authorities released only 28 seconds of the roughly 90-second video, but the arrest report noted that in another segment, Morales said, “This is what’s gonna happen. Got all the sheriff’s department, DEA, FBI, and the rest,” while repeating that he did not care and was done.
Morales’ vicinity to the track raised alarms due to earlier grievances and messages he had sent to a NASCAR executive. His behavior prompted law enforcement to take immediate action, resulting in his detention.
According to the report, a NASCAR executive flagged Morales in 2025 after he requested sponsorship support but did not receive it, though no charges were filed.
In Saturday’s incident, however, deputies cited the video, its statements, and the fact that it was sent to the victim as grounds to believe Morales knowingly made threats to kill or cause deliberate harm.
After his arrest, detectives were able to find the AR-15 seen in the video, along with ammunition from his vehicle, in the Icon One Daytona parking lot. A judge ordered him held at the Volusia County Branch Jail without bond.
Meanwhile, the race went ahead at Daytona on Sunday, where fans saw Tyler Reddick capture The Great American Race, scoring his first Daytona 500 win and his first Cup win since October 2024.
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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 |
Remember to follow The Daily Downforce on X to catch each weekly poll, share your thoughts, and be part of the conversation.
A new trailer revealed that NASCAR will be a part of The Crew Motorfest’s upcoming free season 9 update.
Will you be playing The Crew for this new update? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
