It’s no secret that NASCAR’s excitement quotient has diminished, and the numbers back it up. In 2025, the average viewership for Cup Series races is down roughly 11-14% compared to 2024, sliding from about 3.07 million per race to approximately 2.71 million. Despite a high-value media rights deal and the promise of broader digital reach, television ratings remain stagnant or are slipping in key demographics. Attendance trends echo the same concern, feeling widespread industry anxiety.

Amid rising criticism and declining engagement, veteran driver Kyle Busch has recently weighed in, sharing his perspective on what is really turning fans away. Busch argues that it isn’t just about scheduling, streaming, or broadcast partners; it is rooted in a deeper cultural shift that has stripped the sport of its edge.

“The safety aspect isn’t there,” Kyle Busch sounds off on why NASCAR is boring

When NASCAR handed over a couple of races to Amazon Prime Video, the idea was to capture younger fans and expand. But early results haven’t been smooth. At Pocono, the Great American Getaway 400 drew only 1.87 million viewers, a 22% decline from the previous year on cable. And in Atlanta, the inaugural Cup broadcast on TNT averaged a season below 1.61 million viewers, down more than 14% from comparable races in past years. Even with growth among 18-34-year-olds on streaming, the overall TV numbers keep shrinking.

And NASCAR’s decline isn’t limited to TV. At Kansas Speedway this season, drivers exceeded expectations on track, but the grandstands were half empty, even on a high-profile race day that featured Kyle Larson dominating the field. Observers note ticket price hikes and economic strain kept families away from what was still competitive racing. Similarly, at Homestead Miami, playoff event attendance plunged from 65,000 in 2015 to roughly 30,000 by 2023, empty seats at a critical venue raising alarms about NASCAR’s fan connection.

Speaking to NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck, Kyle Busch didn’t hold back. He explains how the hot rod culture that introduced people to racing in the ’80s and ’90s has largely aged out. Now, families have countless entertainment options, and spending an afternoon baking on metal bleachers under a blazing sun no longer appeals. He said, “I just think the problem we’re running into is there’s not a lot of race fans anymore. People would always bring their kids to the track, but now there are just so many other things people can do otherwise. Going to the lake, taking your kids to a bounce house. No offense, but we just stood outside, right?”

NASCAR, he argues, needs to offer more value to the fans who actually show up and sacrifice their time and dollars. But the No. 8 driver turns to a more serious reason. Having endured injuries himself in a 2015 crash at Daytona, Kyle Busch notes how much safer cars are today. Back then, fans watched with nervous anticipation, wondering what would happen next. That risk and its drama are gone. Now races feel sanitized and predictable.

Moreover, the Richard Childress Racing driver went on, “A little bit of it, too, was back in that day; guys were getting hurt, the speeds were getting faster, cars were getting a little bit safer—obviously we lost Dale—but there was this sense of “What are these guys going to do next? What’s this next crash going to look like? Are they going to come out of it OK?” Now it seems like everything is neutered. I got hurt in 2015, so I can talk, but nobody really gets hurt. The safety aspect isn’t there. So there’s not this Evel Knievel type thing happening anymore. It’s just going to watch a race on Sunday, and people feel like that’s boring.”

In February 2015, during an Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway, Kyle Busch suffered a brutal crash that resulted in a compound fracture of his right lower leg and a broken left foot. Driving through turn one, he lost control, veered across the grass apron, and slammed nearly head-on into an unprotected concrete and field wall at roughly 90 mph, a collision Busch described as a “whale of a hit” that subjected him to approximately 90 G of force.

Busch’s critique isn’t just nostalgia for risk; it is a challenge to NASCAR to evolve. NASCAR must innovate fan experiences, make attending races worth it again, perhaps rethink scheduling, ticket pricing, and on-site entertainment, and reclaim the emotion and unpredictability that once defined the sport while keeping drivers safe. And as Kyle Busch reminisces about his JGR moments, he has taken an interest in two drivers who he believes are still entertaining in NASCAR.

Kyle Busch names the two most underrated drivers in NASCAR

After more than two decades in the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Busch has raced nearly every major name of the modern era, from all-time greats to flashes in the pan. So, when asked recently by The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck to name the most underrated drivers in the sport today, Busch took a moment to reflect. Gluck had asked him a similar question back in 2011, when Busch pointed to Matt Kenseth, a pick that aged well, considering Kenseth’s consistency and championship pedigree. This time, the 40-year-old was different but equally thoughtful.

He said after pausing, “There’s two. I would probably say Chris Buescher being one of them. And then I’d also go with AJ Allmendinger. I think AJ is really, really good. Being (alliance) teammates with the Kaulig guys and stuff like that, and knowing where he’s at and what he’s doing and how he’s driving with similar stuff as us – I think he’s getting a lot out of his cars.” These are drivers who, in Busch’s view, consistently outperform expectations and make the most of the equipment they are given.

Chris Buescher has quietly put together a solid career with over 350 Cup starts, a playoff presence, and a knack for punching above his equipment. Though he is not always in the spotlight, his ability to extract consistent performance, particularly on superspeedways and short tracks, hasn’t gone unnoticed by his peers.

The second name Busch offered was AJ Allmendinger, currently piloting the No. 16 for Kaulig Racing. While Allmendinger is often seen as a road course specialist, the RCR driver believes his abilities go much deeper than that. His technical feedback, leadership, and aggressive race craft have long made him a valuable asset to any team, even if his stats don’t always reflect it.

Interestingly, Busch’s praise comes at a time when he himself is facing a career dry spell. The Cup maestro hasn’t won a race in over two years, with his last visit to victory lane dating back to Gateway in 2023, a stretch of more than 70 races. This weekend, however, he returns to Watkins Glen, a track where he has previously triumphed twice and claimed seven top-five finishes. Despite recent struggles there, averaging a 25.3 finish in the past three years, the No. 8 Chevy driver is hoping to recover his form, perhaps proving that even the most underrated can still rise to the occasion.