NASCAR Insider Slams Sport For Cup Series Blunder – ‘Don’t Blame The Drivers When No One’s Watching’

The return of the NASCAR Cup Series from a two-week hiatus was met with plenty of anticipation, but when it finally came to the action returning to screens, there were a few issues with how the Practice and Qualifying sessions were being broadcast.

The sessions, where the sport was introducing new Option tires at Richmond, were difficult to locate by fans on the NBC Sports App, sparking a wave of dissatisfaction among viewers and prominent figures within the sport.

Kevin Harvick, a renowned figure in NASCAR now retired from full-time racing, took to social media to voice his annoyance. After struggling for 20 minutes to find the qualifying session on the app, Harvick’s frustration was palpable.

“Two weeks off and it took me 20 minutes to find qualifying. Don’t blame the drivers when no one’s watching because it’s buried on an app,” he posted to X, formerly Twitter (below).

The session itself was a crucial one, with NASCAR allocating 45 minutes for teams to get accustomed to the softer compound tires designed for faster, short-run speeds. This change, something that will greatly affect strategies during this weekend’s campaign, deserved a broader audience, yet fans echoed Harvick’s sentiments, struggling to access the broadcast.

As the sport plans a broader transition to streaming platforms next year, the challenges of keeping fans connected seem to be growing. NBC’s current focus on the Olympics might justify prioritizing its programming, but as Harvick pointed out, crucial NASCAR events, especially during the playoff season, should not be relegated to less accessible platforms.

You could argue that alternative strategies, such as utilizing NBC’s Peacock service or the USA Network, could better serve NASCAR’s audience, particularly during such an important race. Not only is this the Cup Series, but with the new Option tire, it’s crucial that fans are able to watch, enjoy, and learn about how this new tire will affect the sport they love.

As Harvick’s criticism underlines, the sport’s decision-making around broadcast strategies may need a significant overhaul to prevent alienating its fan base and diminishing viewership.

NASCAR Cup Series Richmond Practice Results