Is this the best NASCAR’s been in years? Josh Berry’s win at the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas kicked off 3.011 million viewers on FS1 the best for a cable race since Darlington 2021. It crushed F1’s Australian Grand Prix, which pulled just 1.1 million on ESPN that same weekend. Berry, a darkhorse, shocked everyone, and it’s got hooked a lot of viewers. Five races in, and this Next Gen car’s delivering chaos and heart-pounding finishes.
Whether it’s Christopher Bell’s three-race streak, William Byron repeating his Daytona heroics, or Berry taking the victory, the vibe’s electric.
Berry, in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford, beat out Daniel Suarez and Ryan Preece who weren’t even on the radar. It’s not just about one upset, though.
Meanwhile, with the premier open-wheel racing season underway, F1’s Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are a predictable lot. Despite Jimmie Johnson’s blunt “Wow” for Lewis Hamilton’s heroics, insiders couldn’t help but admit that NASCAR’s unpredictability tops F1’s polish.
The drama’s real when the worlds of F1 and NASCAR collide. Joey Logano once vented, “Throw me in an F1 race,” when he was frustrated by NASCAR’s approval of Katherine Legge at Phoenix. Liam Lawson and Gragson’s Ford simulator time has prompted a future NASCAR possibility for the Red Bull driver. Brad Keselowski tipped his hat to F1’s late Eddie Jordan, saying, “He paved the way.” There’s no drama when both sports are involved. Just last year, Larson’s claim of possibly outshining Max Verstappen made headlines.
Which sport is better? NASCAR insider Spider, on Rubbin’ is Racing, explained how NASCAR took the win for him. “Yeah, I mean, I think even into last year, we saw unbelievable…finishes and you know dramatic late race finishes and everything’s been pointing up, I know a lot of people have been dumping on this gen 7 or next-gen car whatever you want to call it when it first came out but I’m gonna take the opposite of the opinion I think it’s provided us with some great racing and you have guys that like Josh Barry that can be 50 60 to 1 pre-race and still shock the field and that’s not just a one-off instance you look at the rest of the top three from this weekend yet Daniel Suarez and Ryan Prieece who I’m not familiar off the top with where their odds were pre-race but I like to think that those guys were just as big of long shots.”
NASCAR
Now, if we look at the last season, there have been mixed results. Three finishes last year became part of NASCAR’s closest-ever finishes. Chris Buescher went head-to-head against Kyle Larson with a 0.001-second gap, Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suarez finished with a 0.003-second difference at Atlanta, and Keselowski and Stenhouse Jr. finished with a 0.006-second difference. This isn’t a coincidence.
The Next-Gen car, despite its criticism has been made keeping parity in mind. It’s everyone having a go at each other in equal machinery. Now, Spider’s opinion might not sit well with most drivers. They haven’t been fans of the change. As Kyle Busch explained, “With the Next Gen car, it’s been a struggle for me to adapt my driving style… It’s shifted the power dynamics completely.” He’s a champ, and he’s lost. Kevin Harvick’s fed up too, saying, “These cars are ridiculous… We need more horsepower to bring back the driver skill.” He’s practically yelling for change. Then there’s Ryan Blaney who admitted, “Homestead’s different—it’s the only place this car feels right… Everywhere else, it’s a fight to keep up.”
“I flip back you know we saw f1 season opener this year or this weekend… I did a parlay between two guys to finish top two Max Verstappen Lando Norris… cash that,” Spider added, laughing at F1’s predictability. If we look at the 2023 season, there were only 3 race winners in total. While there were a few more names up on the board in 2024, fans didn’t see lower-ranked teams like Williams.
This season’s got us believing again. The CW’s Xfinity coverage is getting loved while FOX is getting scrutinised. Tracks that felt stale like Vegas are coming alive with drama. Berry’s win, those ratings, that top three is proof. F1’s got its stars, but NASCAR’s got heart.
NASCAR is tightening the screws on teams
Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe’s teams took big hits. Busch’s rear changer Shiloh Windsor and jackman Joseph Moser are out for Homestead after a tire rolled loose, causing a caution. Same deal for Briscoe’s No. 19 crew—rear changer Daniel Smith and jackman Caleb Dirks are sidelined. These guys won’t be back until Miami’s done. It’s tough how those mistakes cost them, and now they’re watching from the sidelines.
But the real wrap on the knuckle from NASCAR is indefinite bans. Josiah Wright from Brad Keselowski’s RFK Racing and Corbin Sklener from GK Racing in the Truck Series got nailed for substance abuse. That’s not just a race penalty that’s their whole world flipping upside down.
“I don’t think we ever see another championship out of Keselowski.” said Kevin Harvick on his podcast “I think one of the big question marks that I have, is Brad Keselowski ever going to get back to what he was at Penske? And I think he’s done a great job at RFK. But as the driver, I think he’s going to continue to make an impact at RFK with structure, organization, racing common sense and all the things that come with that.”
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