Following the Talladega Cup race, NASCAR came under fire for what many fans described as a lackluster event dominated by fuel-saving tactics and minimal on-track action, especially in contrast to the Xfinity Series race, which delivered a rousing three-wide photo finish.
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Despite the criticism, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition, Elton Sawyer, pushed back on the narrative, expressing doubt that the Cup Series product is in as poor a shape as it’s being portrayed.
Sawyer noted, “When you’re sitting in race control and we’re standing up and watching, our fans are standing on their feet. We’re four wide, in some cases we’re five wide, then they’re back to single file. Our fans are standing up, they’re cheering.”
He also pointed to the post-race metrics: “You look at the stats after the race, and you have 67 lead changes among 23 different drivers. So, when we look at all of that, it’s like, what are we trying to fix? What’s not going the way we would like it?”
However, many fans argue that those 67 lead changes paint a misleading picture. A bulk of the NASCAR race was spent at partial throttle, with drivers conserving fuel to gain an edge on pit strategy. Even the multi-lane [three or four-wide] moments fans had highlighted took place in the middle of conservative runs, with cars spread out but not actually racing hard or challenging one another for the position.
But then, in such superspeedway races, as the field inches toward the closing laps of a stage or the race itself, drivers often find themselves locked into two-by-two formations, with the drag-heavy seventh-generation cars stifling any attempt to build a third lane. The aerodynamic limitations make it nearly impossible to break formation without triggering chaos.
In the final laps, this logjam either locks the field into place or forces desperation moves that end in multi-car wrecks, leaving no margin for safety. What follows is a string of green-white-checkered finishes, where survival, not strategy or speed, often crowns the winner.
Even Denny Hamlin didn’t mince words after the Talladega NASCAR Cup race when he took a swipe at the current state of superspeedway racing, sarcastically appealing to his own team: “I would love love love… Joe Gibbs Racing, if you’re hearing this, sign me up for an Xfinity superspeedway race. That is how racing used to be. That’s how good we used to have it. We just never knew it. Like these cars are moving around. You can create runs.”
He even challenged fans to compare the final laps of the Cup and Xfinity races, pointing out how the latter’s bubble effect enables drivers to get close, build momentum, and create dynamic battles — something sorely lacking in the Cup Series’ current package.
Meanwhile, NASCAR officials continue to insist they’re evaluating all facets of the product — superspeedways, short tracks, intermediates, and road courses. Yet fans and drivers remain vocal about their discontent, especially at venues once synonymous with thrilling side-by-side racing and authentic drafting duels.
