Hamlin Says NASCAR Losing Mainstream Relevance
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver made the remarks on his podcast after the 2026 championship race drew lower television ratings.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Motorsports
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Denny Hamlin said NASCAR is losing relevance among mainstream audiences, arguing the sport has become niche. His comments followed a 2026 Cup Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway that averaged 2.471 million viewers on NBC, down about 11 percent from the previous year's finale.
Why it matters
Hamlin's remarks put a driver's view on the sport's declining reach during the first full year of NASCAR's current media rights agreement. Season viewership averaged around 2.42 million, down roughly 2 percent year over year, a trend that bears on how the series markets itself to new fans.
The 2026 championship race averaged 2.471 million viewers on NBC, down about 11 percent from the previous year's Phoenix finale, while the full season averaged around 2.42 million, down roughly 2 percent. The source does not address whether these declines reflect long-term audience loss or short-term scheduling effects.
The players
Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin is a veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver for Joe Gibbs Racing and finished third in the 2026 championship standings.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson is a NASCAR Cup Series driver who clinched his third series title at the 2026 championship race in Homestead-Miami.
The details
On the November 10 episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin said the sport's biggest problem is relevancy and that NASCAR is not relevant enough to the mainstream. He suggested making Thursday nights a regular part of the summer calendar as one possible response.
Timeline
2025 NASCAR season finale at Phoenix drew higher ratings than the 2026 championship race.
November 8, 2026: Kyle Larson clinched his third Cup Series title at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
November 10, 2026: Hamlin made his comments on the Actions Detrimental podcast.
Season Trajectory
The 2026 championship race drew about 11 percent fewer viewers than the 2025 finale at Phoenix Raceway, extending a comparison that now shows declining audiences for the sport's marquee event. The decline arrives during the first full season under NASCAR's current media rights agreement, making it an early test of that deal's audience performance.
Fantasy and season-long players tracking Hamlin and the Joe Gibbs Racing roster should note his third-place championship finish and 24 regular-season top-10s. The source does not specify any scheduling change that would alter how or when fans can watch Cup Series races.
The takeaway
Viewership trends across a full season can differ from a single marquee race, so readers tracking the sport's reach should weigh both figures. Hamlin's comments frame relevance as the central challenge, a question the ratings data alone does not settle.
Further reading
Explore more Motorsports coverage for context on the series' broader trajectory.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Heavy.
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