NASCAR’s got a knack for pulling heartstrings, and its TV shows have been revving up fans for years. Take NASCAR: Full Speed on Netflix, a 2024 gem that felt like NASCAR’s answer to Formula 1: Drive to Survive. It dove deep into the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs, catching every heated rivalry, jaw-dropping wreck, and raw moment in the garage. Fans got a front-row seat to Ryan Blaney’s intensity and Ross Chastain’s grit, plus glimpses of drivers’ lives off the track. For newbies, it was a perfect intro to the sport’s personalities; for diehards, it was the all-access pass they’d been begging for.

Then there’s Race Hub, a daily staple for over a decade. It’s the go-to for news, tech breakdowns, and driver interviews, striking a sweet balance between stats-heavy segments and human stories. Back in the mid-2010s, it became the place to catch behind-the-scenes scoops, from crew chief spats to drivers’ personal lives. Fans still tune in religiously to stay in the loop, whether it’s breaking news or a deep dive into tire compounds.

For the nostalgia crowd, NASCAR Classics hits like a shot of moonshine. Back in the 2000s, ESPN aired historic races from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, complete with original commentary. Watching Dale Earnhardt battle Rusty Wallace or Bill Elliott dominate was pure magic for fans who grew up on those eras. Now, NASCAR’s YouTube channel keeps the vibe alive, posting full races like the 2001 Daytona 500, which racked up millions of views. It’s proof that the sport’s history still packs a punch.

But nothing captured NASCAR’s soul quite like Lost Speedways. Hosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr., this Peacock series was a love letter to the sport’s forgotten tracks, places like Metrolina Speedway or North Wilkesboro, left to crumble but brimming with stories. Jr. called it a “passion project,” and it showed. Each episode was a time machine, walking through overgrown grandstands and dusty infields to resurrect the ghosts of racing’s past. Fans ate it up, not just for the nostalgia but for the way it honored the communities that built NASCAR.

When Lost Speedways dropped in 2020, it felt like a gift for fans who live for the sport’s roots. Jr. and co-creator Matthew Dillner explored tracks that hadn’t seen a race in decades, like North Wilkesboro, shuttered since 1996. Seeing Jr. walk its cracked asphalt, sharing stories of its glory days, gave fans chills. Crazy thing? The show helped spark enough buzz to bring North Wilkesboro back for the 2023 All-Star Race, a legit full-circle moment.

The Metrolina Speedway episode hit just as hard. Once a short-track hotspot in the ‘70s and ‘80s, it was a wreck of weeds and memories by the time Jr. visited. He got emotional talking about how tracks like these were the heartbeat of small-town America, Friday nights where families gathered under the lights. Fans online said it felt like revisiting their childhoods, a reminder of why they fell in love with racing.

The show wasn’t just a nostalgia trip; it schooled newer fans on NASCAR’s wild history. Tracks like Jungle Park Speedway or Texas World Speedway came alive through old photos, grainy footage, and chats with former drivers and locals. It showed how drivers risked it all on sketchy surfaces and how big-dreaming owners sometimes lost it all. Reddit and Twitter lit up with fans begging for more seasons, calling it the best thing NASCAR had done for its history.

But now, fans are gutted. NBC’s parent company, Peacock, quietly yanked Lost Speedways Season 1 from its platform, leaving viewers scrambling and speculating. It’s a cheap move that feels like a slap to Dale Jr.’s legacy and the fans who cherished the show’s heart.

Fans can’t find Season 1 and it’s buggin’ them

Fans took to Reddit to vent their frustration over Lost Speedways Season 1 disappearing from Peacock, and the theories are flying. One user summed up the streaming game’s harsh reality, “Basically they figured it’d be more expensive to leave it up than to take it down. So they de-listed it. These streaming services own a ton of content that they don’t make available. It’s pretty strange to do it with season 1 of a 2 season series tho, but that’s streaming services for ya. You can still find season 1 online if you look hard enough. Just not on Peacock.”

It’s a trend hitting hard across streaming. Platforms like HBO Max and Disney+ have pulled shows to dodge residuals and licensing fees. For a niche series like Lost Speedways, with just two seasons, Peacock likely crunched the numbers and decided its loyal but small audience wasn’t worth the cost. Fans are left hunting for bootleg copies, which stings for a show that meant so much.

Another fan pointed to Dale Jr.’s NBC exit as the culprit, “When Jr. didn’t take whatever deal NBC offered him when his contract was up they lost all interest in his passion projects. I believe he produced this himself through Dirty Mo and not in conjunction with NBC Universal, so they likely did not want to keep paying royalties to him since Comcast, NBC’s parent, has been on a cost-cutting spree.”

This one’s got legs. Jr. bolted from NBC Sports in 2023 after eight years, signing with Amazon Prime and Warner Bros. Discovery for NASCAR coverage starting in 2025. Lost Speedways was co-produced by Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media, meaning NBC might’ve been on the hook for royalties to his team. With Comcast slashing budgets and trimming Peacock’s library, pulling Jr.’s passion project feels like a petty move after he jumped ship.

A third fan speculated on bigger motives, “Could this have been a result of Jr going to another network? Clearly this was quite a passion project for him and his team. Looks of a kick in the nuts for NBC to delist it the year after the host starts working for another network. You’d think Mike Davis would love to have this on Dirty Mo’s platform if he could. Have to wonder if NBC will use putting it back up or allowing Dirty Mo to host the series as a negotiation tactic in future years.”

It’s not far-fetched. Streaming platforms have a history of shelving content for leverage, think Fox burying films or Warner Bros. pulling shows from Max during rights talks. Mike Davis, Dirty Mo’s president, has pushed to grow their direct-to-fan content, like The Dale Jr. Download. If NBC holds the rights to Lost Speedways, they could be playing hardball, using Season 1 as a chip in future deals with Jr.’s team.

One fan nailed the show’s irony with a quip, “If they were easy to find, they’d just be called speedways.” It’s a clever nod to the show’s premise, tracking down “lost” tracks like Metrolina or Middle Georgia, now overgrown and forgotten. The fact that Season 1 itself is now “lost” on Peacock hits like a gut punch, mirroring the abandoned tracks Jr. fought to preserve. It’s almost too on-the-nose.

Finally, a fan pointed to behind-the-scenes shifts, “I was really disappointed there were only two seasons, but Dillner left Dirty Mo and I doubt they’re bringing it back.” This tracks. Matthew Dillner, the show’s co-creator, split from Dirty Mo Media in late 2022 after shaping its storytelling alongside Jr. Without him, and with Jr. focusing on new broadcast gigs, Season 3 was already a long shot. Dirty Mo’s moved on to podcasts and digital videos, while Dillner’s tackling independent racing projects. The lack of an official cancellation stings, but the writing’s on the wall.

NBC’s decision to yank Lost Speedways Season 1 feels like a cheap tactic, snubbing Dale Jr.’s legacy and the fans who loved the show’s heart. It’s more than just a missing season. It’s a betrayal of the nostalgia and community the series celebrated. Fans are left scouring the internet, hoping to keep those lost tracks alive, just like Jr. did. In NASCAR, history’s supposed to matter, but this move makes fans wonder if the sport’s soul is getting lost in the streaming shuffle.