NASCAR needs a red flag in the worst way

PublishedSeptember 10, 2025 7:58 AM EDT•UpdatedSeptember 10, 2025 7:58 AM EDT

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I promised earlier this week that I wouldn't complain about NASCAR putting its 10-race playoff on cable TV, while at the same time going up against the NFL and college football …

… but I lied, of course. Naturally, I'm going to slam them, because the data says I should. And if Clay taught me one thing during COVID, it's to follow the data!

The numbers are in for last weekend's set of races in St. Louis, and they're bad. Like, bad bad. And I fear we're closing in on NASCAR going down a dangerous path. 

Is there a chance the Xfinity races could one day soon surpass viewership for Cup races? We're getting there:

NASCAR will need to take its lump here

My God. I don't know what's worse: the Cup number, or the fact that the Xfinity race on the CW was only 536k viewers from matching it? 

Credit to the Xfinity (Busch) fellas and the CW for putting on a good show this season. I don't want to take anything away from them – mainly because I'll hear about it from someone at the CW. They're fickle over there. 

So, credit where it's due, because that series – and broadcast – has been the best of all three all season. 

As for the Cup disaster … it's pathetic. I always grade on a curve this time of year, because NASCAR, for some reason, chooses to go against the NFL and college football. It's a dumb battle that they will never, ever, in a million years win, but they do it anyway. 

So, I take that into account, especially when the Cup race in St. Louis goes green right as the 1 p.m. slate of NFL games get into the fourth quarter. That's an awful formula for success. 

Regardless, that's still an awful number. Down nearly 2 million from last year's second playoff race? My God. That's a stunning drop-off. Granted, it's not exactly comparing apples to oranges given that race was at Watkins Glen, but still. That number STINKS no matter how you slice it. 

And we're inching closer to NASCAR really pissing on itself here as the Xfinity Series closes in. Do you know how embarrassing that would be for the sport? 

I don't think it will happen, but it's getting uncomfortably close. The next five races are on the USA channel, which means the Cup Series doesn't have the NBC/Network umbrella until Talladega in late October. 

Frankly, I don't see where these numbers start to improve. I don't. Normally, I'd say the Bristol night race this weekend would be a banger, but NASCAR moved it from August to September a few years ago, and now nobody watches because it directly competes with college football. 

The series then inexplicably shifts to NEW HAMPSHIRE next week, which is maybe the worst track on the schedule. 

Gooooooooooooooood luck. 

Vroom, vroom.