Amid the NFL’s soaring viewership, stock car racing giant, NASCAR, hit a new low at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The viewership recorded a steep drop of 28% compared to last year’s Round of 12 opener at Kansas Speedway.
In fact, falling viewership has become an all-too-familiar sad story in the sport. For long, NASCAR has been flirting with changes, and its fanbase is disgruntled and displeased by the abrupt changes, particularly around the current playoff format and positioning of its race weekends. In the wake of NHMS’s plummeting ratings, NASCAR loyalist and veteran dirt racer Kenny Wallace has some blunt, unfiltered advice for the fans.
What Did Kenny Wallace Say To The Haters?
Renowned racing reporter Jeff Gluck reported the numbers. According to him, this past Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at NHMS drew 1.29 million viewers on USA Network.
Statistically, that’s a 28% drop from last year’s Round of 12 opener at Kansas, which attracted 1.79 million viewers. Overall, NASCAR’s TV audience continues to trend downward, compounded by competition from the Week 3 NFL slate airing at 1 p.m.
In fact, NASCAR has hit an unwelcome first: four consecutive races drawing under two million viewers, right in the heart of the playoffs . Amid declining ratings and ongoing playoff debates rocking the sport, former Busch Series ace Wallace has offered candid advice to fans, urging them to stay patient and look forward to a fresh start in 2026, while enjoying what is left of the ongoing season.
“NASCAR has already announced that they’re going to change the points system and next year, the racing is going to be different. They are going to give you three or four races to determine the champion. What the f**k don’t you understand?” asked the 62-year-old rhetorically, followed by his signature laugh.
He recalled a personal story, blaming the usual fan complaints on a nitpicking friend. He added, “This reminds me of a friend that I had, I said, ‘Boy, sure you do b***h a lot.’ He goes, ‘I just want to b***h, let me b***h for a little bit.’ So that’s what I’d say to all of you.”
The veteran then offered some friendly advice, delivered with his trademark Southern swagger – Get the b****hing out of your system, we’ve got a handful more races to run, and then next year is going to look all different. You’re going to get your three or four-race playoff; everything is going to be different next year because NASCAR hears you. I think you all are full of s**t, myself, but you all are what matters.”
Irrespective of Wallace’s take, promising a new dawn next year, fans perceive the declining trends as rising water about to drown the sport. The veteran’s comments sparked a wave of reactions, with many fans saying NASCAR is distancing itself from its supporters or mocking Wallace as the sanctioning body’s stooge.
One such fan wrote, “NASCAR isn’t listening to us if we end up with a 3 race final round. We don’t want playoffs at all, we want every race to count equally If they get rid of the stage/playoff gimmicks and design a car that races like Xfinity but with more power there will be nothing to bitch about.”
A second one noted his displeasure, highlighting the case of the Next-Gen car, “Same junk car next year. No thanks I’m out.” Meanwhile, others cautioned Wallace about his language, stating the obvious about, “I’ve seen zero announcements from NASCAR on a new points format. The bitching about points started well before Mark Marti, he just became the voice of the people. I don’t think telling the fans they’re “full of shit” isn’t going to get more to watch.”
A fourth fan basically called out Wallace’s take as a bluff, noting, “NASCAR hasn’t officially announced any of these changes you’re talking about.”
NASCAR hasn’t officially announced any of these changes you’re talking about.
— Connor Huberty (@ConnorHuberty) September 25, 2025
On the other hand, a random user dropped the painful bombshell, “Doesn’t matter what point format they use, the cream still rises to the top.”
Doesn’t matter what point format they use, the cream still rises to the top.
— Steve (@tdirt5) September 25, 2025
Through races in 2025, NASCAR is averaging just 2.52 million viewers per event. NASCAR’s average TV viewership declined significantly from 2024 to 2025, with the average per Cup Series race dropping by about 13-16% depending on race category.. Although the playoffs were designed to boost excitement, the format on paper is drawing even less, with the first three races averaging only 1.5 million.
If trends continue, the sport could see its first postseason average under two million since the modern playoff era began, a far cry from the six- to eight-million viewers routinely seen at its mid-2000s peak.