The Brickyard 400 returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2025, marking the 5th NASCAR Cup Series race on the oval since the series moved back from the road course configuration. Broadcast live at 2 p.m. ET on TNT Sports with full coverage from IMS/PRN radio, this Crown Jewel event capped the inaugural In-Season Challenge and carried heightened stakes from drivers vying for $1 million and bragging rights in the championship race. Fans flocked to IMS ready for a spectacle as grand marshals and pageantry made their promises, especially with one special guest in the spotlight.

Historically, IMS-appointed grand marshals have included members of the Hulman-George family and the Speedway’s new owner, Tony George, gave the command in 2016, and Roger Penske took over starting duties from 2020 through 2025. But this time, leading up to race day, IMS and NASCAR officially announced that Cookie Monster would deliver the traditional engine-start command as Grand Marshall, part of the kid-friendly “Sesame Street Road Trip Across America” campaign.

The blue character was supposed to deliver the “drivers, to your cars” command. Cookie Monster’s announcement revived fan excitement, especially given that his prior waving of the green flag in a NASCAR context wasn’t guaranteed, making this a standout promotional event. Or so everybody thought.

Despite the buildup, television viewers and IMS radio listeners saw no on-air moment where Cookie Monster said the “drivers, to your cars.” Instead, the broadcast cut from before he even gave the command and straight into standard race coverage, including flyovers and intros, skipping entirely the much-touted grand marshal moment. Reports from insiders like Jeff Gluck from The Athletic confirmed that Cookie Monster did appear in pre-race ceremonies and even called the drivers to their cars, but not the main command of starting their engines. “He called drivers to their cars. Did they not show it?” Gluck wrote. The crowd was left wondering, what happened to the big moment?

This isn’t the first time race fans have voiced disappointment with NASCAR’s televised presentation in 2025. Earlier in the season, at other Cup Series events, viewers noted over-truncated camera angles, abrupt chopping of planned introductions, and missed ceremony highlights. While those issues are often chalked up to tight scheduling, the Cookie Monster’s no-show felt far more egregious. Combined with previous production missteps around In-Season Challenge and scattered segment coverage, it has intensified scrutiny on broadcast execution across NASCAR’s network partners.

At the root, preferences are clear: fans expected a singular centerpiece moment from the Grand Marshal, especially after they were told Cookie Monster would lead the Cup Series this year. Without seeing or hearing the iconic command, the energy drained from the grid, and the promise of family-friendly fun felt half-baked, and fans felt “robbed.” And right now, social media chatter doesn’t seem very content either.

Fans call out NASCAR and TNT’s broadcast blunder

That gap triggered backlash online and in the stands from families and race fans who felt that IMS and NASCAR had overpromised a moment that never aired. One fan commented, “Nope my child was ready… is cookie monster waving the green flag?” Questions lingered in the minds of people. While Cookie Monster did appear in the paddock and guided drivers to their cars, broadcasters never aired that engine-start command or showed him waving the green flag.

Another fan noted a pattern in pre-race festivities in NASCAR for the past couple of weeks. “Just an observation, why are the commands always so lame before a crown jewelry? The command today was so weak. It needs more enthusiasm. #NASCAR#Brickyard400,” another fan wrote. Many NASCAR fans have voiced that the energy behind race-start commands in several 2025 events felt flat, especially notable at high-profile races like Bristol and Charlotte. This has been a recurring theme, as observers lament on these ceremonies, often featuring muted announcements and rushed pacing, lacking the theatrical build-up fans expect.

Another fan posted a video of how it would have been if the Cookie Monster gave the actual command, using a snippet from the blue character’s Xfinity announcement, writing, “Cookie Monster was at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and here’s how the command to start engines would have sounded if he got to give it. #NASCAR.” The comments drew heavily from promotional clips where the Cookie Monster delivered factory-fresh enthusiasm typical of Sesame Street branding, which the fans were robbed of at the Brickyard 400 Cup Series race.

Others shared their rating and impressions of the pre-race ceremonies. One fan commented, “Brickyard 400 Opening Ceremonies: Prayer: 8/10 – it was fine. Anthem: 8/10 – fine, felt rushed. Flyover: 6/10 – meh, tanker. Command: 2/10 lame asf #NASCAR” Viewers regularly complain about ceremonies feeling rushed, overtly formulaic, or lacking enthusiasm and nationalism, even with the national anthem, which fans argue is diverging from America’s traditional roots with many changes being made by the singers. 

But some were too furious to answer any questions as they blamed NASCAR and TNT, saying, “YOU LIED TO US. YOU SAID COOKIE MONSTER WAS DOING THE COMMAND.” This sentiment captured the prevailing mood that fans felt duped by marketing overreach, believing the broadcast would deliver a playful, memorable moment that never materialized. Another fan added to the sentiment, writing, “I feel so robbed by Both NASCAR & TNT , what was even the point of sticking his face every-fu—-where.” What was supposed to be a family entertainment now came across instead as a bait-and-switch. Cookie Monster was present, but viewers felt robbed of his televised command moment.