Dale Earnhardt Jr. seemed to be agreeing with Denny Hamlin’s claims that the stage cautions were running a bit too long because of the TV commercials that are put in. He argued on his Actions Detrimental podcast that the long laps under yellow before the pit road opens can sometimes be too boring for the fans, and Dale Jr. didn’t just agree, but gave another strong argument in support of this.
Dale Jr. claims stage cautions hamper the next stage
“He’s right. It’s also chewing into the next stage and shortening up those parts of the race: taking product off the shelf,” Earnhardt Jr. wrote on social media, agreeing with Denny Hamlin’s claim of the cautions running too long.
Currently, the moment a stage ends, the broadcast switches to commercials, which can go on for over 10 minutes. Now, while the drivers are bunching up on the field and preparing to pit, it can sometimes be a bit too long for the fans, and understandably so. Hamlin argued that they might begin to lose interest in the race itself because of this.
“I’m telling you, a 15-minute caution can really drag down your feeling, and next thing you know now I’ve switched over to basketball and now it’s a close game, and I don’t want to change from this, this is great. I flip back real quick. Still under yellow. Let me go back to the game. And then I just find myself getting caught in the game,” he explained.
While this does make sense, there is still something that needs to be done. Those commercials are like the backbone of NASCAR’s revenue, considering how much the sport generates through the broadcasts. And so, Hamlin has an interesting suggestion: “I think you take a little green away.”
While this does seem to make sense, there is another major issue that comes with it. Throughout the years, fans have pointed fingers at FOX Sports for their broadcasts having too many commercials. It not only hampers the overall viewing experience but also makes the races a little less interesting. So, overall, this seems to be an interesting crossroads that NASCAR has arrived at.
This is a developing story.
