NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin has highlighted the sport’s fading popularity, calling it out for clashes with the football calendar. He emphasized that fans will prioritize watching football over NASCAR, leading him to propose a bold idea that could help boost viewership.
Coming off the back of a disappointing weekend at Kansas Speedway, where he finished second after leading the race for 159 laps, Hamlin has often highlighted his differences with NASCAR, but this one could be a valid point put forward by him. Several personalities from the sport have spoken up about the sport’s reported dwindling popularity, and now, Hamlin seems to have noticed something. Speaking on his Actions Detrimental podcast, the 44-year-old driver said:
“It all comes down to shares, and if football is on, I’m watching it. I might click around during commercials, but it’s my number one priority. It’s hard for any other sport to grow unless it takes attention away from football, which is just not happening. That’s the reality we’re up against.”
Hamlin then proposed that the race be scheduled on Fridays to prevent the Sunday clash. He added:
“Can I ask a question? Why not own Friday night instead of Sunday? Fans would have time to travel home and aren’t stuck with a school night. Sunday afternoon is traditional, but if you were building a series from scratch, maybe other days could make more sense to let people get back and still watch without conflict.”
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver mentioned another point about the hectic 38-race plan, which he thinks is oversaturated. Hamlin said:
“You would not be racing 38 weeks a year if you built it from scratch. This schedule is oversaturated. Other sports can’t play every weekend because of collective bargaining, but we cram too much in. If race teams had a voice, we would never say yes to 38 weekends. Sunday afternoons in the fall are hard to make work with all the competition.”
Hamlin made headlines after the race at Kansas, where a win was well within reach while he battled Bubba Wallace. However, a power steering failure ruined his potential victory that he wanted badly. He also made contact with Wallace in the last lap, which slowed them both down and helped Chase Elliott capitalize on the situation and win the race.
Hamlin is currently placed fourth in the championship standings, and the next race at the Charlotte Roval could add to his challenges, since he hasn’t won there before. But given the impressive pace of his Toyota, he could push for a top finish.