‘Every thing Sucks’ — Jeff Gluck Breaks Down the Rollercoaster of NASCAR Fan Sentiment in 2025

NASCAR followers have been holding their breath all season, hoping for the sort of racing that made them fall in love with the game within the first place. After months of disappointment at Talladega, Michigan, Iowa, and Watkins Glen, Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona Worldwide Speedway lastly delivered the thrill that had been lacking.

With the playoffs looming at Darlington, racing analyst Jeff Gluck breaks down the emotional rollercoaster that defines NASCAR fandom in 2025.

Why Has Jeff Gluck Referred to as Out NASCAR’s Fan Sentiment Downside?

The frustration runs deeper than just some unhealthy races. Since NASCAR launched Subsequent-Gen vehicles, followers and drivers have struggled to seek out causes to have a good time. The game’s resolution to restrict horsepower and add new aero packages has basically modified how races unfold, notably on brief tracks and superspeedways, the place shut competitors was assured.

Gluck captured this mounting frustration completely on “Door Bumper Clear,” admitting, “I believe lots of the temper has been fairly unhealthy this yr. The fan sentiment has been fairly low, however I believe what the final two weeks have proven, oddly sufficient, is a lot in regards to the on-track product.”

The issue isn’t simply in regards to the racing itself. NASCAR followers carry deep nostalgia for the game’s golden period, making each disappointing weekend really feel like one other step away from what the game as soon as represented. Reflecting on this sentiment, Gluck added, “It was after Watkins Glen that all the things was at such a fever pitch as a result of all people was so sad with the product, I believe, or what they’re saying seeing out of the races. A couple of weeks in a row, all people’s like, ‘Every thing sucks!’”

How Do NASCAR Followers’ Feelings Swing From Week to Week?

What makes NASCAR fandom so unstable is how rapidly opinions can shift primarily based on current performances. Gluck defined this phenomenon, noting how the game’s fanbase operates in predictable cycles that mirror the racing calendar itself.

“This trade, the fanbase appears to go on these waves the place in the event you get a few weeks of fine racing, it’s like, ‘Oh, all people is kind of on this temper once more,’” Gluck noticed. “If it’s three weeks in a row, I believe it’s kind of is the quantity, ‘Oh man, that race wasn’t good.’ After which all the things is like, what wants to alter, what are we doing mistaken, the place is our trade taking a dive?”

This emotional whiplash displays how invested NASCAR followers stay of their sport. When races ship pleasure and aggressive motion, the fanbase rallies with renewed optimism. Nonetheless, when a number of weekends in a row fail to satisfy expectations, the criticism intensifies and broader questions in regards to the sport’s course dominate the dialog.

The problem for NASCAR lies in understanding that these reactions aren’t nearly particular person races. They symbolize deeper considerations about whether or not the game is transferring in the appropriate course and whether or not the modifications made in recent times have improved or hindered the aggressive product that followers anticipate.

Gone are the magnetic personalities like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jeff Gordon who may elevate any race weekend. Whereas NASCAR has pursued new partnerships and advertising and marketing methods to draw totally different audiences, abandoning what made the game particular isn’t the answer that longtime followers need to see.

True progress requires sincere dialogue between NASCAR management and its fanbase, acknowledging each the successes and shortcomings of current modifications. The group should deal with considerations from followers throughout all demographics, recognizing that the passionate supporters who constructed this sport stay important to its future success. With out engaged followers filling grandstands and watching broadcasts, inventory automobile racing loses the vitality and ambiance that make it compelling. That connection between followers and the game they love stays the muse on which all the things else is constructed.