NASCAR should be fuming over embarrassing 'Dega race, drivers are livid & controversial finish raises doubt

I've done the Richard Petty experience, and Denny is 10000% right. When you do that, they basically cap the cars at 175 MPH. That's what we had yesterday at 'Dega. Cars going as slow as possible to save enough fuel so they wouldn't have to pit.

That should not happen at Talladega or Daytona. Those two are, easily, your best tracks, NASCAR. Trust me. You don't want to screw them up ...

And you are screwing them up. Big time. It's pathetic. It's embarrassing. Folks will turn the channel.

Hell, they already have!

Take a look:

Lordy.

Last Sunday's Cup race at Phoenix drew an audience of just 1.2 million viewers. That number is alarming, folks. I've seen a lot of bad TV numbers for NASCAR over the years. Believe me.

That's really, really, really bad. You don't want to live in a world where the WNBA outdraws NASCAR, and we're teetering on that right now. It's unfathomable. It's unacceptable.

It's also not surprising.

Some thoughts on why, in order of importance:

OK, give me YOUR thoughts on this — and don't hold back! [email protected]. Gulp.

Now, let's get to a couple quick-hitters on the way out. First up? Congrats to Kyle Larson! He won yesterday in thrilling fashion, and will most likely be your champion here in two weeks.

But ... did he do it legally?

Thoughts? It's really close. Like, really, really, reaaaaaaallllly close.

I think NASCAR made the right call, and I HATE siding with NASCAR. But fair is fair, and I do think Larson's tires stay on the line, albeit barely.

Again, it was CLOSE:

Does that angle change anyone's minds? Nope?! We're all just gonna be stubborn and set in our ways and argue till we're blue in the face?

Okeedokee! Sounds good!

Moving on ...

I know Joey Logano flipping and landing on his hood gets all the clicks and the attention, but the hit Riley Herbst takes here is the most violent hit of the 2026 NASCAR season.

Goodness:

Just a massive hit for Riley Herbst, who is OK. I know NASCAR seemingly took forever to get over to him (listen to how frustrated the team is over the radio), but he spoke after the race and all seems well.

But that was a massive hit. Ryan Blaney's taken a couple of those over the years, and they scare the bejesus out of me every time. When I saw this wreck happen in real time, my attention immediately went to Herbst over Logano.

Cars that flip and go on their hoods are generally OK. Cars that go into the wall at 190 MPH are usually not.

Feel like we dodged a bullet here.

OK, that's it for today. Good work, everyone.

On the way out, here's Jesse Love's girlfriend, Georgia Kryssing, enjoying a pumpkin patch as we start the final week of October.

See y'all at Martinsville.

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